Access to Parliament

Greg Knight: To ask the Leader of the House if he will take steps to ensure that any future plans for Parliament Square and surrounding roads which involve pedestrianisation take into account theneed for speedy access to the Palace of Westminster by hon. Members and Peers.

Jack Straw: Yes.

Correspondence

David Amess: To ask the Leader of the House what the average cost to his Office was of replying to a letter written by  (a) an hon. Member and  (b) a member of the public in the last period for which figures are available; and how much of that sum is accountedfor by (i) officials' time, (ii) cost of stationery and(iii) postage costs.

Jack Straw: The information requested is not held centrally.
	The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members/Peers correspondence. The report for 2005 was published on 30 March 2006,  Official Report, column 76WS.

Parliamentary Questions

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Leader of the Houseif he will make arrangements for the tabling ofwritten parliamentary questions for answer during parliamentary recesses.

Jack Straw: I refer the hon. Member to theanswer I gave to my hon. Friend for Wirral, South(Ben Chapman) on 24 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1836W.

Carlisle Northern Development Road

Eric Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what role the North West Regional Assembly will play in determining the priority given to the building of the Carlisle northern development road.

Stephen Ladyman: We asked the regions to advise us on their priorities for major transport schemes within the indicative regional funding allocations that were announced in July 2005. We are currently considering the North West region's advice, which the North West regional assembly were involved in determining, on the priority it attaches to the Carlisle Northern Development Route and other major transport schemes in the North West. We hope to announce our response to the region's advice before the parliamentary summer recess. This scheme is currently assumed to be funded through the private finance initiative (PFI) with only a small element coming from the regional funding allocation. We are currently considering Cumbria's bid for an increase in PFI funding requirement.

East Riding

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding for which his Department is responsible has been allocated to the East Riding of Yorkshire council for each year since 1997-98.

Gillian Merron: The East Riding of Yorkshire council has been allocated nearly £62 million in funding in the local transport capital settlements since 1997-98.
	Table 1 shows the funding allocated to The East Riding of Yorkshire council in the local transport capital settlements since 1997-98. The funding allocation includes: the integrated transport block; road maintenance; and approximately £5 million provided in 2003-04 for the replacement of the Dutch River Bridge.
	The integrated transport block allocations are available for local authorities to use on road and public transport improvements, according to their local priorities.
	Additionally Table 2 sets out the bus subsidies received by The East Riding of Yorkshire council. Funding for rail and trunk roads have not been included as it is not possible to allocate it across any specific constituency.
	
		
			  Table 1: East Riding of Yorkshire council 
			   Total funding (£000) 
			 1997-98 1,824 
			 1998-99 856 
			 1999-2000 2,378 
			 2000-01 2,879 
			 2001-02 7,598 
			 2002-03 8,061 
			 2003-04 10,876 
			 2004-05 16,958 
			 2005-06 10,372 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: East Riding of Yorkshire council nature of funding 
			   (£000) 
			   Rural bus subsidy grant  Rural bus challenge  Total bus subsidy 
			 1997-98 — — — 
			 1998-99 534 — 534 
			 1999-2000 534 423 957 
			 2000-01 534 400 934 
			 2001-02 682 825 1,507 
			 2002-03 781 358 1,139 
			 2003-04 797 — 797 
			 2004-05 821 — 821 
			 2005-06 853 — 853

Foreign-registered Vehicles

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the amount of fines and charges unpaid by the owners of foreign registered vehicles in the UK in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: Information on the amount of fines and charges unpaid by the owners of foreign registered vehicles in the UK in each of the last five years is not collected centrally, and so an estimate could be made only at disproportionate cost.

Railways

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many trains were cancelled in each of the last 12 months, broken down by region.

Derek Twigg: The following table show thenumber of all trains cancelled, as a percentage, in the year 1 April 2005 to 31 March s2006, by Network Rail route, listed by rail industry four-weekly business reporting period.
	
		
			  Percentage of cancellations per period by route 
			  National Rail route  PI  P2  P3  P4  P5  P6 
			 Anglia 0.15 0.16 0.17 0.21 0.16 0.15 
			 Kent 0.09 0.08 0.13 0.17 0.13 0.11 
			 London North East 0.63 0.57 0.60 0.67 0.49 0.57 
			 London North West 0.36 0.29 0.32 0.39 0.32 0.29 
			 Scotland 0.35 0.28 0.32 0.30 0.23 0.24 
			 Sussex 0.07 0.07 0.08 0.17 0.09 0.10 
			 Wessex 0.08 0.07 0.09 0.08 0.07 0.10 
			 Western 0.27 0.25 0.27 0.32 0.28 0.28 
			 Total 2.00 1.76 1.96 2.32 1.77 1.83 
		
	
	
		
			   P7  P8  P9  P10  P11  P12  P13 
			 Anglia 0.13 0.21 0.22 0.24 0.15 0.11 0.16 
			 Kent 0.12 0.09 0.11 0.13 0.07 0.08 0.08 
			 London North East 0.50 0.56 0.59 0.53 0.52 0.58 0.51 
			 London North West 0.32 0.35 0.27 0.27 0.22 0.58 0.30 
			 Scotland 0.27 0.36 0.35 0.32 0.28 0.24 0.29 
			 Sussex 0.10 0.08 0.09 0.09 0.09 0.07 0.08 
			 Wessex 0.06 0.12 0.16 0.10 0.05 0.07 0.09 
			 Western 0.24 0.30 0.32 0.24 0.23 0.28 0.27 
			 Total 1.74 2.07 2.11 1.91 1.62 1.69 1.78

Railways

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has  (a) to increase parking facilities and  (b) to upgrade station facilities at Warrington Bank Quay.

Derek Twigg: As part of the current renegotiation of the West Coast Trains franchise, Virgin Rail Group has been asked to develop and implement plans for increased car parking capacity at stations where they are the Station Facility Owner. This includes Warrington Bank Quay station. Virgin Rail Group will be proposing where and when the additional car parking spaces are going to be implemented in their bid submission. Implementation is subject to a positive business case.
	The Customer Information System at the station is due to be upgraded this year.

Roads

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average cost to public funds was of a road fatality in the last period for which figures are available.

Stephen Ladyman: The values used to estimate the benefits of the prevention of road accidents and casualties are set out in the "Highways Economic Note No. 1: 2004 Valuation of the Benefits of Prevention of Road Accidents and Casualties" which can be found on the DfT website at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/qroups/dft_rdsafety/documents/divisionhomepage/030763.hcsp
	The average values, based on 2004 casualty data, are £1,384,463 for a fatality and £1,573,217 for a fatal accident. These amounts are the values to be used in the appraisal of road traffic schemes. The casualty figure takes account of lost output (which includes any non-wage payments paid by the employer), medical and ambulance costs and human costs based on willingness to pay values representing pain, grief and suffering. The accident figure is higher because it includes non-casualty specific costs such as the costs of policing, insurance and administrative costs and damage to property, and because on average more than one casualty is involved in each accident.
	Included within these values are the costs to public funds for medical, ambulance and police costs (emergency services) which in 2004 averaged at £817 per fatal casualty and £7,076 per fatal accident. In addition some element of the lost output cost would be considered as a cost to public funds.

Brixham Fish Market

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2006,  Official Report, column 887W, on Brixham Fish Market, what the normal procedures referred to are; and when he expects a decision on the new fish market at Brixham to be made.

Ben Bradshaw: In England, Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance grant applications are considered in quarterly competitive tranches. Applications are assessed by an internal panel of representatives from Defra, the Marine Fisheries Agency and the Regional Development Agencies. Those applications that appear to the panel to best match the criteria are prioritised for funding within budgetary limits. In this instance, the panel considered the Torbay council application on25 May. A final decision will be made when an assessment of the potential impact of a possible restriction of scallop dredging in Lyme Bay is completed. I expect this to be within the next few weeks.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary ofState for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will reply to the letter dated 12 May from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms C. Greenhalgh.

Ben Bradshaw: The letter has been transferredto the Cabinet Office as the Department with responsibility for policy on civil contingency planning. Unfortunately, there was a delay in transferring the letter, for which I apologise to the Hon. member.

Fish Farms

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary ofState for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the outbreak of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia at a fish farm on a tributary of the Ouse in Yorkshire; and what steps his Department is taking to prevent the spread of the disease;
	(2)  what plans his Department has to instigate the compulsory slaughter of diseased fish reared on fish farms;
	(3)  if his Department will compensate those fish farm owners who have their stock compulsorily slaughtered as a result of disease; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 12 June 2006,  Official Report,column 903W.
	On 19 June, the National Control Centre of the Cefas, Weymouth Laboratory confirmed that viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VMS) has been detected in a sample of grayling taken from the River Nidd below the outlet of the farm infected with the disease, although the infected fish showed no clinical signs of the disease. Further comprehensive sampling and testing is taking place on fish in the river, both below and above the infected farm.
	Fish disease experts at Cefas advise that although there is no scientific evidence that VMS virus infection causes significant outbreaks in wild freshwater fish stocks, any persisting infection in wild stocks could be a source of infection or re-infection for trout farms in the vicinity through VMS virus contamination of the river supply to the farm.
	There are no plans at present to carry out compulsory slaughter of fish on farms in the areas of the River Ouse and River Don affected by the current outbreak but the matter will be kept under review. No further cases of VMS have been detected on fish farms.

Fish Farms

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the locations are of fish farms on which the presence of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia has been detected in the UK.

Ben Bradshaw: Viral haemorrhagic septicaemiawas confirmed in rainbow trout at Nidderdale TroutFarm, Low Laithe, Summerbridge, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG3 4BU on 26 May 2006. No further cases of the disease have been detected so far at any other farm during a comprehensive sampling and testing programme.

Fish Farms

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the incidence and spread of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia among farmed fish populations.

Ben Bradshaw: Following the confirmation of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VMS) in farmed rainbow trout on a fish farm in Yorkshire on 26 May 2006, my Department, through its Executive agency Cefas, commissioned an epizootiological investigation into the source of the infection. This investigation includes the testing of farmed and wild fish populations which may have had contact with the infected stock, as wellas all of the other potential pathways of disease transmission.
	The Department has acknowledged the seriousness and potential impact of this most important disease on the UK aquaculture industry, and has previously funded research projects on epidemiology and mathematical modelling of disease outbreaks, the pathogenicity and transmission of different strains of the virus, and studies on the detection of the virus in fish and cell cultures.

Household Waste

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Government has to reduce household waste.

Ben Bradshaw: The waste minimisation programme run by the Government-funded Waste Resource Action Programme (WRAP) is working to stem the growth of household waste. This is part of a package of measures to enable the UK to meet the requirements of the landfill directive and move towards sustainable waste management.
	As part of the programme, WRAP is working with 13 major retailers to reduce the amount of waste from supermarkets, including looking for ways to redesign packaging as well as support for research and development into waste minimisation. It is also working with local authorities to establish greater participation in home composting through its targeted National Home Composting Programme.
	In its recent consultation on the review of its Waste Strategy, the Government identified the importance of waste prevention for reducing waste, including in the household. So far only limited progress is being made to prevent waste, and so more needs to be done. The revised Waste Strategy, due to be published later this year, will identify what further steps should be taken.
	The revised Waste Strategy will also outline what can be done to build on recent improvements in household recycling. The consultation on the review proposed target increases for household waste recycling to 40 per cent. by 2010, 45 per cent. by 2015 and 50 per cent.by 2020.
	Local authorities received £45 million in 2005-06, £105 million in 2006-07 and £110 million in 2007-08 under the Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant to help them develop new and more efficient ways to deliver waste reduction and increase recycling and diversion from landfill.

Landfill Directive

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what percentage of the biodegradable waste required to meet the first EU Landfill Directive has been diverted from landfill in the UK;
	(2)  whether local authorities will be financially liable for the UK's compliance in meeting the EU Landfill Directive's targets.

Ben Bradshaw: Article 5(2) of the EC Landfill Directive sets three target years (2006, 2009 and 2016) by which member states must reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste sent to landfill in proportion to the amount produced in 1995.
	The directive also allows member states which landfilled over 80 per cent. of their municipal waste in 1995 to postpone the targets by up to four years. The Government have informed the European Commission of its intention to make use of this four-year derogation, which means the target years for the UK are 2010, 2013 and 2020.
	The UK target for 2010 is to reduce biodegradable municipal waste landfilled to no more than 75 per cent. of that produced in 1995. For England, this equates to 11.2 million tones in 2010. It is estimated that in 2003-04, around 14.7 million tonnes was disposed of in this way, with a provisional estimate of a further reduction to around 13.9 million tonnes in 2004-05(i.e. 124 per cent. of the 2010 target).
	In preparation to the first 2010 target year, the UK have already taken steps to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill. The Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS), was launched in April 2005, and is one of the Government's key measures to encourage progressive reductions in the amount of biodegradable municipal waste that disposal authorities are able to send to landfill sites.
	Should any waste disposal authority have landfilled more waste than it holds allowances for, it can use the sixth month reconciliation period (from March to the end of September), to trade, borrow or bank allowances to manage their liabilities. Any waste disposal authority which has landfilled biodegradable municipal waste in excess of the allowances it holds at the end of the reconciliation period will be liable to a financial penalty of £150 per tonne (according to section 9(2) of the Waste and Emissions Trading Act).
	The LATS regulations also provide for supplementary penalties (in addition to any penalties for exceeding allowances) that are proportional to(a) any fines imposed on the UK in respect of obligations under the Landfill Directive and (b) the amount by which an authority exceeds its allowance in a Landfill Directive target year, or subsequent scheme years following Landfill Directive target years.
	Due to the nature of a tradable allowances scheme,it is not possible to accurately assess now whether any waste disposal authority is likely to landfill biodegradable municipal waste in excess to that which it holds allowances for until the Environment Agency has completed the reconciliation process for the LATS scheme year 2005-06, expected by the end of September.

Marine Bill

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to bring forward a draft Marine Bill; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to publish a draft Marine Bill; what steps are being taken to ensure that the Marine Bill is introduced and passed at the earliest opportunity; and how the Marine Bill will protect the marine environment of the UK.

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Government expect to publish the draft Marine Bill.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra published a consultation document on 29 March 2006 setting out the Government's thinking in a number of key areas to be addressed by a Marine Bill. These include marine spatial planning, nature conservation, licensing reform, and the possibility of setting up a new marine organisation. We had already undertaken initial consultation on some fisheries issues that will also be dealt with in the Bill.
	The final scope of our proposals for a Marine Bill, including the strategic direction we should take, will not be decided until we have fully considered the responses to the consultation exercise. The consultation period ended on 23 June 2006. We will publish a summary of the responses within three months.
	We will need to take these responses into account before any decision is made on the timing of further consultation on detailed proposals for a draft Bill. Introduction of a Marine Bill will follow later in this Parliament, subject to the availability of parliamentary time. We want to move forward swiftly, but this is a complex area and we must make sure that we take sufficient time to consult effectively and get our proposals right.
	The Government's primary purpose for a new Marine Bill is to introduce a stronger framework for the seas, based on marine spatial planning, that balances conservation, energy and resource needs. Together with a planning system for the marine area, we have proposed a number of possible approaches for the reform of marine nature conservation legislation. These include new mechanisms for the conservation of marine ecosystems and biodiversity, including protected areas for important species and habitats.

Recycling

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what representations he has received from local authorities on the recycling of televisions and computer monitors containing cathode ray tubes;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the national operational capacity for the recycling of televisions and computer monitors containing cathode ray tubes;
	(3)  how many  (a) televisions and  (b) monitors containing cathode ray tubes have been recycled from local authority civic amenity sites since July 2005.

Ben Bradshaw: No such representations fromlocal authorities have been received. The majority of inquiries on the recycling of televisions and computer monitors received by DEFRA officials have been referred to the Department of Trade and Industry, who lead on implementation of the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive.
	There are an increasing number of WEEErecovery plants opening in anticipation of the UK's implementation of the WEEE directive that are capable of dealing with waste televisions andcomputer monitors. These plants are regulated by the Environment Agency under a waste management licence.
	Information on the number of televisions and monitors which have been recycled from local authority civic amenity sites is not currently gathered by the Department.

Rubbish Collection (Charging)

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the likely effect of variable charging for rubbish collection on levels of fly-tipping.

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the merits of the introduction of variable charging for household waste.

Ben Bradshaw: We have no current plans to introduce charging for household waste. The Government are considering what further steps are needed to tackle household waste as part of the review of the Waste Strategy, which will be published later this year. We are also looking at the spending pressures local authorities face, with regard to waste management, ahead of the comprehensive spending review.
	Variable charging is one of a number of tools that could be used to encourage waste minimisation and recycling of household waste. Local authorities already have powers to run incentive schemes or require householders to separate their waste for recycling. Recent research shows that at least half of English local authorities have run, or are running, some form of incentive scheme and some, such as Barnet, require householders to separate their recycling.
	Many countries, including some in the European Union, have introduced successful household waste charging schemes, achieving reductions in waste arisings and increases in the separation of waste for recycling. (Evidence from studies of this international experience shows a small increase in fly-tipping incidents when schemes are introduced, but this quickly tails off where schemes are well designed and effective enforcement action is taken.)

Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has undertaken into live tests for bovine spongiform encephalopathy; and whether this included studies of prion proteins.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 26 June 2006
	Scientific investigation of a live animal test for bovine spongiform encephalopathy has been a priority part of the research programmes funded by DEFRA and other Government Departments for several years. Information on these projects can be found on the DEFRA and Medical Research Council websites:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/research/project data
	http://www.mrc.ac.uk/index/current-research/current-mrc_tse_portfolio.htm
	A wide range of possible diagnostic markers of the disease have been studied, with a particular focus on prion proteins.

Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance he has issued on whether cattle suspected ofbeing infected with a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy must be culled within a specified period under EC Regulation 999/2001.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 26 June 2006
	State Veterinary Service (SVS) staff are instructed to slaughter cattle suspected of being affected by bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) at the time of their examination. In a minority of cases, the SVS arrange for live suspects to be transported to the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) in Weybridge, subject to an assessment of fitness to travel and journey time considerations. BSE suspects received at the VLA are slaughtered within 72 hours of arrival. However, most BSE suspects are slaughtered on-farm.

Landlords (Retained Deposits)

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  how many actions have been initiated by trading standards officers against companies which have unfairly retained deposits paid on student accommodation;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the amount of money unlawfully retained by companies from deposits on student accommodation in the last 12 months;
	(3)  what steps he is taking to encourage action against companies which unlawfully retain deposits paid by students who have rented student accommodation.

Angela Smith: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government are committed to ensuring that where tenants pay a deposit to their landlord in good faith that it will be returned at the end of the tenancy, providing the tenant does not cause any damage or theft to the property. Provisions contained in Part 6 of the Housing Act 2004 will make it a requirement that any landlord who offers assured shorthold tenancies and wishes to take a monetary deposit must safeguard that deposit with a tenancy deposit scheme (TDS).
	The Department does not hold information on the actions of trading standards officers or the level of deposits that may have been withheld by landlords.

Zimbabwe

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his policy is on investment by UK companies in Zimbabwe; and what steps he is takingto improve standards of corporate behaviour in Zimbabwe.

Ian McCartney: The EU does not have economic or trade sanctions with Zimbabwe, and therefore we do not place any barriers on investment in Zimbabwe. UK companies will take decisions on investing in Zimbabwe on the basis of their commercial assessment of those investments.
	There are no specific initiatives to improve corporate behaviour in Zimbabwe. HMG is however committed to promoting responsible business practice by British companies wherever they operate. We do this through a combination of sector-specific activities, such as;
	The extractive industries transparency initiative, which aimsto increase transparency over payment by companies to Government and Government linked entities, as well as transparency over revenues by those host country Governments.
	The voluntary principles on security and human rights which aims to maintain the safety and security of extractive operations, whilst ensuring that human rights and fundamental freedoms are respected.
	HMG also supports international organisations active on corporate responsibility such as the UN global compact, which seeks to promote responsible corporate citizenship so that business can be part of the solution to the challenges of globalisation.

Burmese Refugees

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what help he has made available to support relief groups in Thailand assisting those people displaced from their homes in Burma.

Gareth Thomas: There are three types of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Burma. These are (with the latest available numbers, from October 2005):
	(i) people in temporary settlements in ceasefire areas administered by ethnic nationalities (340,000);
	(ii) villagers who have been evicted by the Burmese Government and moved into designated relocation sites (108,000); and
	(iii) civilians hiding from the Burmese Army in areas most affected by armed conflict (92,000).
	The recent military offensive against the Karen people has swelled the number of civilians hiding in conflict areas by at least 15,000. DFID's approach to providing emergency assistance to these IDPs has been to use our comparative advantage (the fact that we have a small presence inside the country and a strong network of relationships with ethnic minority and other groups) to reach the IDPs using local community groups inside Burma. This is a complementary approach to the use of relief teams operating cross-border from Thailand, and it enables access to IDPs who would not be reached by any other means, and through a mechanism which is much less-well supported by other donors. The development of civil society within the country is also a fundamental step in a successful transition to democracy.
	The number of IDPs that we can reach from inside the country is limited. Access is difficult, and the small local groups with whom we are working do not currently have the capacity to deliver greater volumes of emergency relief, although we are working to strengthen their ability to do more. Those delivering assistance to IDPs cross border from Thailand face similar challenges. Therefore we recognise the importance of maintaining co-ordination with all donors (both those delivering assistance cross border, and those working inside the country) to ensure that together we manage to reach as many IDPs as possible.
	DFID also provides support to IDPs in temporary settlements in ceasefire areas in eastern Burma through the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), to which we provide £500,000 a year, of which approximately 75 per cent. is attributable to work with displaced people in this area.
	In addition, our health, education and rural livelihood projects provide assistance in eastern Burma, and support internally displaced people in temporary settlements and designated relocation sites there, as well as other vulnerable people. For example, in Karen State, our Fund for HIV/AIDS in Myanmar supports World Vision projects in two townships, Save the Children UK projects in four townships and Care projects in five townships, as well as supporting other national non-governmental organisations (NGOs). DFID-funded rural livelihoods and pre-primary education projects are also about to start in Karen State.
	DFID is also providing support to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working among displaced Burmese people in the refugee camps on the Thai side of the Thai-Burma border—as a grantto the Thai Burma Border Consortium (TBBC) of£1.8 million over three years. In addition, the UK contributes approximately the same amount again as its share of the EC's support to the TBBC. The British embassy in Bangkok advocates on behalf of Burmese refugees living in Thailand through the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to improve the situation in the refugee camps in Thailand and to bring about a relaxation of the regulations prohibiting freedom of movement and employment outside the camps.

Afghanistan

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how long he expects British troops to be based in Afghanistan.

Des Browne: As announced by my right hon. Friend, the then Secretary of State for Defence (Dr. Reid) on 26 January 2006,  Official Report, column 1529, the Helmand Task Force is planned to be a three year deployment. It is impossible to predict exactly how long there will be a UK military presence of somekind, as part of wider international support to the Government of Afghanistan, beyond that period.

Dead Service Personnel

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what average time has elapsed before inquiries into the deaths of British service personnel in Iraq have commenced.

Des Browne: The information requested is notheld centrally and can be obtained only at a disproportionate cost. However, the Service Police initiate an investigation immediately they are notified of the death of any member of the armed forces in Iraq. Wherever possible, it is their policy to issue an Initial Case Report within 24 hours of notification unless prevented by operational circumstances.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list contracts in excess of £500,000 his Department has entered into in connection with Iraq since the beginning of 2003; on what date each was entered into; whether the civilian contractor in each contract had military connections; what the nationality of each civilian contractor was in each case; what each contract was for; whether each contract was awarded following competitive bidding; whether work was wholly carried out in Iraq; and what estimate he has made in each case of the comparable cost of similar work carried out in the UK.

Adam Ingram: I will place three lists of contracts in the Library of the House. The first shows works contracted by the Multi-National Division (South-East) Civil Secretariat with total value in excess of £500,000, and wholly carried out in Iraq, from 2003, detailing the company, service provided, and date each contract was entered into. Second are those contracts let by the Defence Communications Service Agency for and in support of British operations in Iraq. And thirdly are those contracts placed for movement of freight or personnel by air or surface means, awarded following competition. Two of these contracts (DTMA/CB/0803 and DTMA/CB/0813) were let for air support entirely within Iraq/surrounding area. Two further contracts (DTMA/CB/0703 and DTMA/CB/0720) were let specifically for aeromedical tasks between Cyprus and the UK. The remaining movement contracts were placed for the transport of freight/personnel mainly between the UK/Europe and Iraq/Gulf States in support of Op TELIC. Comparable costing for these is inappropriate. Further details are not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Iraq

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on which dates since February 2006  (a) he and  (b) his Ministers have visited British soldiers injured in Iraq; and what locations were visited on each occasion.

Des Browne: Defence Ministers frequently visit members of the armed forces injured in Iraq. Since February Defence Ministers have visited injured personnel on four occasions as follows:
	My predecessor, the then Secretary of State for Defence,(Dr. Reid), visited the Field Hospital at Shaibah Logistics Base on 18 March 2006.
	I too visited the Field Hospital at Shaibah Logistics Base, Iraq on 18 May 2006. The Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Mr. Ingram) visited injured personnel as part of his visit on 8-9 May 2006 to 7th Armoured Brigade in Germany.
	The Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Mr. Watson) visited the Royal College of Defence Medicine at Selly Oak on 16 June 2006.

Missile Defence

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the role is of the Missile Defence Centre within his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The UK Missile Defence Centre was opened by the then Minister of State for Defence Procurement (Lord Bach) on 18 July 2003. It provides the primary technical interface between the UK and the US Governments in this area of research and development. The centre is jointly resourced by Government and Industry, and will act as a showcase for the specialist expertise and equipment which UK Industry has to offer to the US Missile Defence programme. The MDC also facilitates the exchange of information on the evolving US system, to inform the technical advice provided to policy makers.

Private Members Bills

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Private Members' Bills were drafted by his Department in each session since 1997; and which subsequently received Royal Assent.

Tom Watson: None.

Royal Military Police

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the meritsof bringing the Royal Military Police Special Investigations Branch under the oversight of the Independent Commission on Police Complaints.

Adam Ingram: The Royal Military Police (RMP) Special Investigations Branch (SIB) have a minimal interface with the general public in comparison to their civilian counterparts. As a result, complaints by third parties unconnected to the armed forces about the conduct of the RMP (SIB) are far less likely to occur. We do not therefore consider it appropriate for the RMP (SIB) to be brought under the oversight of the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
	However, a comprehensive redress of complaints system exists for all service personnel, including service police personnel, who wish to complain or express a grievance about any matter related to their service. Improvements were proposed under the Armed Forces Bill which included a redress panel system where panels would include an external, independent member for certain types of complaints, and an external reviewer focussing on process, delay, fairness, and the effectiveness of the procedure, and providing recommendations for improvements where necessary. Further to the Deepcut Review, we plan to extend the role of the external reviewer, renamed as the Service Complaints Commissioner, who would have statutory powers to receive a complaint or allegation from a service person, family or other third party, to place it in the hands of the chain of command and to be notified of the outcome. The Commissioner would have direct access to Ministers and would publish an annual report on the complaints process.
	These proposed arrangements will now be subject to the full process of Parliamentary scrutiny in the context of the remaining stages of the Armed Forces Bill's passage through Parliament.

Biodiversity

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department plans to take to monitor the extent to which public bodies which report to her comply, from October, with their duty to conserve biodiversity in exercisingtheir functions, under section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006.

Shaun Woodward: Under section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, all public bodies have a duty to have regard to the conservation of biodiversity in the exercising of their functions. There is no statutory obligation on Departments to monitor the extent to which public bodies comply with this duty. However, we understand Defra is working with a wide range of partners to develop guidance for public bodies to support the implementation of this duty and will involve all relevant Departments on the development of guidance.

Correspondence

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the average cost to her Department was of replying to a letter written  (a) by an hon. Member and  (b) by a member of the public in the latest period for which figures are available; and how much of that sum is accounted for by (i) officials' time, (ii) cost of stationery and (iii) postage costs.

David Lammy: The information requested is not recorded and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishesa report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members/peers correspondence. The report for 2005 was published on 30 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 76-78WS.

Departmental Finance Directors

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Culture, Media and Sport what the  (a) name, (b) professional and academic qualifications and (c) relevant experience are of the finance director of her Department.

David Lammy: My Department's finance director is Nicholas Holgate. He has a degree in economics and is an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. His relevant experience comprises 18 years' employment in HM Treasury, including three years as head of strategy, finance and purchasing.

Horse Racing

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to enable the Government to meet its manifesto commitment to end its financial involvement in horse racing.

Richard Caborn: The Government's 2005 manifesto commitment with regards to horseracing stated,
	"Having passed the necessary legislation the Government remains committed to completing the sale of the Tote to a Racing Trust".
	My Department is pursuing a closed sale of the Tote to a consortium of racing interests.

Horse Racing

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what consultation  (a) has taken place and  (b) is planned on the extension of the horseracing levy beyond 2009; and with whom.

Richard Caborn: No decision has been taken to extend of the Horserace Betting Levy beyond 2009, although the matter is under consideration by my Department following the publication of the phase two report of the Future Funding of Racing Review Group, Chaired by Lord Donoughue of Ashton.
	In order to inform this consideration the Review Group subsequently produced a further report (a copy of which has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses) aimed at identifying improvements that could be made to the Levy Board's operation. The Group received submissions from:
	Arena Leisure Plc
	Ascot Racecourse
	The Association of British Bookmakers
	The British Horseracing Board
	Gala Coral Group Plc
	GG Media Ltd.
	Industry Committee (Horseracing) Ltd.
	The Jockey Club
	Ladbrokes Plc
	The National Association of Bookmakers
	The National Trainers Federation
	Northern Racing Ltd.
	The Racecourse Association
	The Racehorse Owners' Association
	The Rails Bookmakers' Association
	Satellite Information Services Ltd.
	Timothy Hale (in support of the RCA)
	Watson Bookmakers Ltd.
	Weatherbys Ltd.
	William Hill Plc
	Should the Government decide to extend the Levy beyond 2009 further consultation will be carried out.

Horse Racing

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State forCulture, Media and Sport pursuant to her statement of 18 March 2005,  Official Report, column 29WS, on funding of horse racing, what progress has been made in working with football leagues to develop solutions to the funding difficulties arising from a judgment by the European Court of Justice.

Richard Caborn: I have met with representatives of premier league, football leagues, Scottish football leagues on a number of occasions to discuss the impact of the European Court of Justice's ruling on database rights.
	I understand that a deal is now under negotiation between Football Dataco, which licenses football fixture data, and British bookmakers which I am optimistic will provide guaranteed funding for the football leagues in the short to medium term.

Internet Gambling

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations shehas received from gambling addiction support and campaign groups on problem gambling on the internet.

Richard Caborn: We have received a number of representations from gambling addiction support groups, faith groups and others about problem gambling and the Internet.
	We are engaged in regular discussions withthese bodies via my Department's Gambling Act Implementation Community Liaison Group.

Public Consultations

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of14 June 2005,  Official Report, column 1223W, on consultations, what mechanisms are in place to ensure value for money in public consultations.

David Lammy: In order to ensure that consultation is as effective as possible, my Department follows the Government's code of practice on consultation. By following the code i.e. carrying out comprehensive consultation and taking on board the views of those likely to be affected and the views of experts, the Government are more likely to meet its policy objectives. Following each formal consultation, the DCMS is obliged, under the code, to give feedback regarding the responses received and how the consultation process influenced the policy in question.

Radio Licences

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what appeals mechanism is available to radio stations who have their request for a radio licence rejected by Ofcom; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: If an unsuccessful applicant believes that Ofcom has acted unlawfully then they can ask for the decision to be judicially reviewed.

Scottish Bed Tax

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment her Department has made of the likely impact of a bed tax on the Scottish tourism industry.

Shaun Woodward: The Department has not made such an assessment. As is appropriate in the case of an independent review, my Department will fully assess the potential impact of any recommendations thatSir Michael Lyons makes in his final report on the function, future role and funding of local government once he has made them.

The Public, West Bromwich

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the role of the Arts Council is in the tendering process for the future use of The Public in West Bromwich.

David Lammy: Arts Council England are part of a stakeholder group which currently also includes the other funders, Sandwell metropolitan borough council, Advantage West Midlands and the Government Office West Midlands. The brief for the tendering process was written with the joint agreement of this group. Representatives of Arts Council England were involved in the shortlisting of submissions and were on the interview panel for the shortlisted proposals.

Finance Director

Christopher Huhne: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what the  (a) name,  (b) professional and academic qualifications and  (c) relevant experience are of the finance director of the Electoral Commission.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it does not have a specific post of finance director, but that the responsibilities of its Director of Corporate Services, Roger Gough, include Finance, as well as Human Resources, IT, Procurement and Facilities. Mr. Gough has a Diploma in Management. Before becoming Director of Corporate Services at the Electoral Commission, Mr. Gough was a Directorof Resources in the magistrates courts service for seven years.

Building Costs (2012 Olympics)

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of possible inflation of building costs in  (a) London,  (b) the West Midlands and  (c) England as a result of the construction work associated with the 2012 Olympics.

Stephen Timms: The Treasury has made no estimate of the possible inflation of building costs as a result of the construction work associated with the 2012 Olympics. As announced in January, the Public Sector Construction Clients' Forum, set up by the Office of Government Commerce, is carrying out a project to examine the construction industry's capacity to deliver planned national capital construction programmes, including the provision of the Olympic's infrastructure, in the period 2005 to 2015.

Custom Entry Clearances

Nick Harvey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 13 June 2006,  Official Report, column 5767W, on AK-47s, what UK custom entry clearances have been issued to UK-based companies for the import into the UK from Bosnia of  (a) military vehicles and  (b) assault rifles sinceJune 2003.

Dawn Primarolo: Since June 2003 UK Customs have issued six entry clearances to UK companies in respect of imports of military vehicles from Bosnia that have been recorded under Commodity Code heading871 00000 which covers military vehicles.
	Since June 2003 UK Customs have issued nine entry clearances issued to UK companies in respect of imports under Commodity Code 9301 9000 (other military weapons, other than revolvers, pistols and arms in heading 9307). Entry clearance is issued on the basis that import licenses had been granted prior to importation.

Invoice Payments

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of bills presented by private organisations to  (a) HM Treasury and  (b) HM Revenue and Customs were paid within (i) 10 days,(ii) 20 days, (iii) 30 days, (iv) 60 days and (v) 90 days in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The Treasury aims to pay all invoices within contractual conditions or 30 days from the receipt of goods or service, whichever is the later. We monitor performance against the 30 day target. Further analysis could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.
	For the 12 month period ending 31 March 2006,94.7 per cent. of undisputed Treasury and Debt Management Office invoices and 99.5 per cent. of undisputed Office of Government Commerce invoices were paid within 30 days. HMRC settled 98.8 per cent. of invoices within 30 days of receipt of goods or service.
	Improving payment performance continues to be a priority and is reported in the relevant resource accounts.

Spring Departmental Report

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date he plans to publish the HM Revenue and Customs Spring Departmental Report; in which month the Spring Report was published in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 27 June 2006
	The HMRC Spring Departmental Report 2006 will be published on 29 June 2006 (Cm6832).
	The following table gives details of the Spring Report publication dates as requested.
	
		
			  HMRC  Publication June 2005  Command number Cm6542 
			 Inland Revenue May 2004 May 2003 June 2002(1) 2001 Cm6225 Cm5925  Cm5428 No report published(2) 
			 HM Customs and Excise May 2004 May 2003 June 2002 April 2001 Cm6224 Cm5924  Cm5427 Cm5117 
			 (1 )This was published as Inland Revenue: the Government's Expenditure Plans for 2002-04 (2 )Inland Revenue: the Government's Expenditure Plans for 2000-01 to 2001-02 (Cm4117) was published in April 2000.

Teenage Pregnancy and Life Expectancy

Joan Walley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the most recent  (a) teenage pregnancy rate and  (b) life expectancy rate was in (i) Stoke-on-Trent, (ii) the West Midlands and (iii) England.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 28 June 2006:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the most recent  (a) teenage pregnancy rate and  (b) life expectancy rate was in(i) Stoke-on-Trent, (ii) the West Midlands and (iii) England. I am replying in her absence. (80602)
	Available figures are estimates of the number of pregnancies that resulted in a live birth, stillbirth or termination.
	Teenage conception rates for 2004 (the most recent year for which data are available) are given in Table A. Data for 2004 are provisional.
	Figures for life expectancy at birth for English regions and local authorities are published annually by ONS based on three-year rolling averages. The most recent figures, for 2002-04, are included in Table B.
	
		
			  Table A: Teenage pregnancy rate, 2004 
			  Region  Rate( 1) 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 67.4 
			 West Midlands 45.0 
			 England 41.5 
			 (1) Rates for women aged under 18 are based on the population of women aged 15-17. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Life expectancy at birth (years) by sex, 2002-04( 1) 
			  Region  Male  Female 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 73.2 78.7 
			 West Midlands 75.9 80.6 
			 England 76.55 80.91 
			 (1 )Results are based on deaths registered in 2002-04 and mid-year population estimates for these years.

City Regions Programme

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the likely effects of the city regions project on  (a) Herefordshire and  (b) other low wage economies.

Phil Woolas: Cities and city-regions are often the economic drivers of economic growth within the wider region. Economic growth within the cities and city-regions will often provide knock on benefits to the wider region. We are conscious, however, that no one size fits all and in considering the business case proposals from the core cities we are giving careful thought as to their impact on smaller towns and rural areas outside the city-region.
	My officials are working with DEFRA who are looking into the impact of city regions on rural areas both within and outside city regions. This research includes a number of case studies, one of which concentrates on the Birmingham city region and its impact on South Shropshire, the rural district with the highest proportion of employees earning less than two-thirds of the English median.

Correspondence

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average cost to her Department was of replying to a letter written  (a) by an hon. Member and  (b) by a member of the public in the latest period for which figures are available; and how much of that sum is accountedfor by (i) officials' time, (ii) cost of stationery and(iii) postage costs.

Angela Smith: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members/Peers correspondence. The report for 2005 was published on 30 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 76-78WS.
	The information requested is not recorded and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Home Information Packs

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the likely impact of home condition reports contained in home information packs on the market value of low value properties.

Yvette Cooper: It is important that sellers and buyers should have reliable information about the condition of properties they are considering up front, particularly as this reduces significantly the risk of transaction failure, wasted costs, duplication and unexpected repair costs once the buyer has moved in. The Home Condition Report will bring transparency to the process and ensure that negotiations regarding sale price reflect the condition of the property.
	The Government commissioned research in 2000 and 2003 on the potential implications of home information packs (HIPs) for low value and low demand properties. It also consulted in March 2003 on whether there should be special arrangements in such cases. The findings of the research and consultation showed that buyers, sellers and local property professionals felt that HIPs could help the functioning of the market in those areas, and that exempting particular properties or areas of properties could reduce demand and therefore prices even further.

Benefits

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what support the benefits system provides for those who become carers of vulnerable people after they themselves have passed retirement age; whether this differs from those who become carers before their age of retirement; what plans he has to change the system to improve the treatment of age carers who are over retirement age; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: Carers have equal access to the full range of income maintenance social security benefits, whether they are above or below state pension age. In particular, they are able to apply equally for carer's allowance, which is an income maintenance benefit for people who regularly spend at least 35 hours a week caring for a severely disabled person.
	Lower-income people of pension age may receive pension credit in addition to their state pension. Pension credit recipients are guaranteed a weekly income of £114.05 for a single person or £174.05 for a couple. Carers entitled to carer's allowance have the carer's additional amount, currently £26.35 a week, included in the assessment of their pension credit. For both working age and pension age carers entitled to carer's allowance, additional help is available through the carer premium, also set at £26.35 a week, in housing benefit and council tax benefit. This premium is available to working age carers in income support and income-based jobseeker's allowance.
	The overlapping benefits rules, which mean that two income maintenance benefits cannot be paid together, also apply equally to carers below state pension age receiving benefits such as incapacity benefit and to pension age carers receiving basic state pension.
	We have no plans to change these arrangements.

Benefits

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what average time was taken to rate a claim for  (a) jobseeker's allowance and  (b) income support in (i) Peterborough constituency and (ii) the Peterborough city council area in each of the last 10 years.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 28 June 2006:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question regarding the average time taken to rate a claim for  (a) Jobseeker's Allowance and  (b) Income Support in (i) Peterborough constituency and (ii) the Peterborough city council area in each of the last 10 years. This falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Our measure of the time taken to process a claim is the actual average clearance time. Prior to April 2006 the Jobcentre Plus internal key management indicator for processing claims for Income Support (IS) and Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) was 12 working days. Since April 2006, these key management indicators have become official Jobcentre Plus targets; the IS clearance target is 11 days and the JSA clearance target is 12 days.
	I am unable to provide information for the last 10 years as our system only holds data from April 2002 when Jobcentre Plus began operations.
	For the period April 2002 to March 2005, information is available for the old Peterborough Jobcentre Plus district, which included the constituency of Peterborough and the Peterborough city council area. From April 2005 information is only available for the whole of Cambridgeshire.
	The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Claim processing times in Peterborough Jobcentre Plus District 
			   Benefit  Target in days  Actual average clearance time in days 
			 April 2002 to March 2003 Income Support 12 14.44 
			  Jobseeker's Allowance 12 12.19 
			 April 2003 to March 2004 Income Support 12 19.65 
			  Jobseeker's Allowance 12 12.38 
			 April 2004 to March 2005 Income Support 12 16.84 
			  Jobseeker's Allowance 12 12.45 
		
	
	
		
			  Claim processing times in Cambridgeshire 
			   Benefit  Target in days  Actual average clearance time in days 
			 April 2005 to March 2006 Income Support 12 13.99 
			  Jobseeker's Allowance 12 12.72 
			 April 2006 to May 2006 Income Support 11 17.37 
			  Jobseeker's Allowance 12 17.47 
			  Source:Jobcentre Plus Management Information System Programme. 
		
	
	Jobcentre Plus is transforming the service it provides by making it available via the telephone, via the internet and through the personal service offered to people in Jobcentre Plus offices. We are also committed to implementing a major efficiency programme to deliver headcount savings.
	On 30 January we launched a national action plan designed to reduce clearance times. The plan focuses on providing delivery units with specific tools and best practice guidance to enable them to improve their performance. Senior operational managers provided a formal assurance at the end of February that they were complying with all elements of the national action plan.
	The chief operating officer is monitoring performance very closely and is addressing performance variations in benefit clearance times in specific locations and the actions required to clear backlogs. It should be acknowledged that concentrating on backlogs of work may initially cause average clearance timesto rise.
	I hope this is helpful.

Criminal Offences

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Department since April 2005, broken down by Act.

Anne McGuire: The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (c.13) is the only DWP sponsored primary legislation since April 2005. The criminal offences created in that Act are:
	(i) Section (7)(2)(b) adds 'a rail vehicle accessibility compliance certificate' to the list of relevant documents in section 49(1) of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, in respect of which it is already an offence for such a document to be forged, altered etc or for a false statement be made knowingly for the purpose of obtaining such a document. The amendment has yet to be brought into force;
	(ii) Section 8(2) inserts a new subsection (5) into section 49 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 Act to make it an offence to falsely pretend to be a person authorised to inspect rail vehicles for conformity with rail vehicle accessibility regulations. The provision has yet to be brought into force;
	(iii) Section 9 inserts a new section 21A into the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 (c.44) in relation to badges issued outside Great Britain; subsection (4) of the new section makes it an offence to display a badge purporting to be a recognised badge unless it is a recognised badge and is displayed in accordance with regulations to be made under subsection (3). Subsection (8) makes it an offence to fail without reasonable excuse, to produce a badge when required to do so by a constable or enforcement officer. This provision came into force as regards England on 30 June 2005.
	(iv) Section 10(3) inserts a new subsection (2B) into section 16B of the Disability Discrimination 1995 Act which makes it an offence for a person knowingly or recklessly to make a false or misleading statement to the effect that publication of a particular advert would not be unlawful by reason of the operation of subsection. (2); For the sake of completeness, the following provisions of Schedule 1 to that Act make amendments to other primary legislation which insert new offences into that legislation:
	(v) Schedule 1, Part 2, paragraph 43(3) inserts a new subsection (6A) into section 105 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (c.27). This makes it an offence to leave a vehicle stationary in contravention of any prohibition or restriction, where an immobilisation device could have been fixed to the vehicle if it had not been displaying a current recognised badge (defined by section 21A of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970), where the vehicle was not being used in accordance with regulations under s21A of the 1970 Act and in circumstances where a concession would not be available to a vehicle lawfully displaying a recognised badge. This provision also came into force as regards England on 30 June 2005.
	(vi) Schedule 1, Part 2, paragraph 44(3) inserts subsection (1A) into section 117 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (c.27). This makes it an offence for a person to display a badge purporting to be a recognised badge (defined by new section 21A of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970) where they are also breaching a provision of an order relating to parking under the 1984 Act and where the circumstances are such that a concession would be available to someone lawfully displaying a recognised badge. The offence will not be committed provided the badge is a recognised badge and is being displayed in accordance with regulations under section 21A of the 1970 Act. This provision also came into force as regards England on 30 June 2005.
	(vii) Schedule 1, Part 2, paragraph 46(3) inserts subsection 2A into section 70 of the Road Traffic Act 1991 (c.40). This creates an offence for cases where an immobilisation device could have been fixed to a vehicle in a designated parking space, had a current recognised badge (defined by section 21A of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970) not been displayed on the vehicle, if the vehicle was not being used in accordance with regulations under that section and the circumstances were such that a disabled person's concession would not be available by virtue of displaying a non-GB badge. This provision also came into force as regards England on30 June 2005.
	(viii) Schedule 1, Part 2, paragraph 48(2) inserts subsection (5A) into section 79 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 (c.18). This states that regulations to be made under that section shall provide that an offence is created where a person is in charge of a vehicle in circumstances where an immobilisation device would have been fixed to the vehicle had a current recognised badge not been displayed on the vehicle and the vehicle is not being used in accordance with regulations under section 21A of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 and the circumstances are such that a disabled person's concession would not be available by virtue of displaying a non-GB badge.This provision also came into force as regards England on30 June 2005.

Departmental Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will keep a separate record of the amount spent annually by his Department on alcohol for hospitality purposes.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions does not currently keep a separate record of expenditure on alcohol for hospitality purposes. Such expenditure is included within the hospitality account. The Department's current intention is not to further subdivide this analysis of expenditure as it is likely to require significant additional administration and be unlikely to be accurate.
	All expenditure on hospitality is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on the principles set out in Government Accounting. Accordingly, alcohol is provided only as an exception and only with the specific written authority of a small number of designated senior civil servants.

Departmental Staff

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the (a) operation and  (b) staffing of the Appeals Service from March 2007.

Vera Baird: Your question to ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions asking if he will make a statement on the  (a) operation and  (b) staffing of the Appeals Service from March 2007 onwards has been referred to the Department for Constitutional Affairs for reply. With effect from 3 April 2006, the Appeals Service, now known as Social Security and Child Support Appeal Tribunal (SSCSA), transferred from the Department for Work and Pensions and became part of the Tribunals Service, an Agency of the Department for Constitutional Affairs.
	The SSCSA continues to meet all of their targets and delivers an efficient service in line with the Tribunals Service 2005-06 Business Plan.
	Resource for the SSCSA transferred from DWP to DCA. The staffing of SSCSA will be maintained in line with its workload and the resources available to the Department overall.

Disabled Staff

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled staff his Department has employed in each year since 2000.

Anne McGuire: The information is contained inthe table.
	The information is representative of the disabled status as voluntarily declared by individual members of staff. Not all staff who are registered disabled declare themselves as such for departmental records, and the true figure may be higher than the figures shown.
	These figures represent a snapshot of the Staff in Post on the first of April for each year shown and the proportion of disabled staff. The Department for Work and Pensions was created in July 2001, and figures prior to 2002 were unobtainable.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number and proportion of disabled staff in DWP 
			   Staff in post  Staff in post with a declared disability  Percentage of staff in post with a declared disability 
			 2006 127,795 6,429 5.25 
			 2005 134,494 6,896 5.13 
			 2004 142,675 7,094 5.38 
			 2003 139,906 7,485 5.76 
			 2002 138,578 7,941 5.99

Medical Assessments

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average cost is per appeal against a medical assessment decision for benefit entitlement.

Vera Baird: Your question to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions regarding what the average cost is per appeal against a medical assessment decision for benefit entitlement has been referred to the Department for Constitutional Affairs for reply. With effect of 3 April 2006, appeals against social security benefit decisions are now the responsibility of the Tribunals Service, which is an Agency of the Department for Constitutional Affairs.
	The information you have asked for is not available in the format requested as unit costs are measured over the entire appeal caseload and not broken down specifically by benefit type.
	The average unit cost for processing an appeal is £253 and takes into account all Agency costs including overheads.

Pensioner Benefits

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State forWork and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the  (a) number and  (b) proportion of pensioners entitled to (i) means tested benefits and (ii) pension credit in (A) 2010, (B) 2020, (C) 2030, (D) 2040 and (E) 2050 based on the proposals set out in the Pension White Paper Cm 6841; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: holding answer 8 June 2006
	The information is not available in the format requested. The information available is shown in the following table.
	The numbers eligible to pension credit in the future are subject to a range of uncertainties and a number of factors including policies on uprating different benefits. Table 1 shows the projected number and proportion of pensioner households eligible for pension credit under the proposals contained in the White Paper "Security in retirement: towards a new pensions system."
	
		
			  Table 1: Projected number and proportion of pensioner households eligible to pension credit for selected years under the White Paper proposals 
			   Number of pensioner households eligible(£ million)  Proportion of pensioner households eligible (percentage) 
			 2010 4.15 44 
			 2020 3.45 41 
			 2030 2.95 31 
			 2040 2.80 27 
			 2050 2.95 29 
			  Notes:1. Long-run projections of the number and proportion of pensioners eligible to means tested benefits under the White Paper proposals are not available. 2. Projections of the number and proportion of pensioners eligible to pension credit are sensitive to modelling assumptions and to projected changes in the distribution of pensioner incomes.3. The estimates of proportions shown here are the mid-points of projections taken from two separate micro-simulation models. Modelling of the reform proposals does not include any increase in private saving from the introduction of personal accounts, which would further reduce the numbers eligible for pension credit.4. Projections of the number of pensioners eligible to pension credit are derived from the projected proportions eligible and projections of the number of pensioner households in Great Britain.5. These projections assume: continued earnings uprating of the standard guarantee credit; earnings uprating of the savings credit threshold from 2008 to 2014; earnings uprating of the basic state pension from 2012; price uprating of the maximum savings credit from 2015; measures to improve coverage of the basic state pension described in the White Paper.6. Estimates cover all those aged above women's state pension age in the private household population of Great Britain.7. Estimates account for equalisation of state pension age between 2010 and 2020. They also account for the proposed further increases in state pension age described in the White Paper. The estimates assume that the minimum age at which people can claim pension credit rises in line with women's state pension age.8. Estimates are calibrated to the mid-points of the 2004-05 National Statistics range estimates of non-eligibility to pension credit, which adjust 2004-05 family resources survey data to take account of possible biases in reporting. Although the estimates here are not presented as ranges, they are subject to a margin of uncertainty.9. Estimates of the number of pensioner households eligible are rounded to the nearest 50,000.

Ambassadors

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2005,  Official Report, Column 1895W, on ambassadors, how much of the Frais was spent on  (a) the EU presidency,  (b) the G8 presidency and  (c) the visit of HRH the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.

Geoff Hoon: £6,145 of the Frais of our ambassador in Washington was spent on the visit by their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall in November 2005. The UK's G8 and EU presidencies ran for one year and six months respectively. To provide figures on the amount of Frais spent on both presidencies would require consideration of hundreds of events in 2005 and would incur disproportionate costs.
	I would like to take this opportunity to correct the figure of £29,000 previously stated as having been underspent against the ambassador's Frais provision in financial year 2004-05, in the written reply to my hon. Friend by the then Foreign Secretary (Mr. Straw) on22 November 2005,  Official Report, Column 1895W. The ambassador's Frais provision was underspent by £27,935 and it was that amount that was carried forward to financial year 2005-06. Taking into account this rollover, there was no increase in the ambassador's total Frais allocation for 2005-06.

Ascension Island

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the position of those who have acquired property on Ascension Island.

Geoff Hoon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 5 June 2006,  Official Report, column 308W. All property on Ascension Island belongs to the Crown. Nevertheless, some parties have entered into arrangements that have no basis in law. We will seek to bring these arrangements into line with legislation that is currently being reviewed. In undertaking thiswork individual circumstances will be considered sympathetically.

Bermuda Regiment

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many persons conscripted to the Bermuda Regiment have  (a) declined to serve,  (b) gone absent without leave for more than one month and  (c) been (i) charged with and (ii) convicted of (A) desertion, (B) being absent without leave and (C) similar offences; what sentences were imposed in each case; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: Neither my Department nor the Ministry of Defence hold the information requested. Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have contacted the Bermuda Regiment directly and the Regiment has provided the following information.
	For 2006, of the 541 men called up for service in the Bermuda Regiment two were registered as Conscientious Objectors, seven were exempted as 'ministers of a religious denomination', 14 were conditionally deferred to serve in the St. John's Ambulance Brigade, and 94 did not report for medical examination, nor explain their absence in advance. Of these 94 men, 51 are believed to still reside in Bermuda, while the whereabouts of the remaining 43 is unknown.
	The Bermuda Regiment is a part-time regiment, and the maximum accumulated time put in by any member of the regiment is equivalent, at its maximum, to thirty days in one year. The regiment considers that a man who has been absent without leave for more than three consecutive scheduled or ordered appearances is a long term absentee (LTA). At the time of this parliamentary question the Bermuda Regiment has on its books a total of 65 LTAs.
	On the question of desertion the Bermuda Defence Act makes no provision for such a charge.
	Under the Defence Act every soldier who fails to perform military duties is charged internally with unauthorised absence. So far in 2006, 21 such cases have been heard, and all have been found guilty. The commanding officer handed out the following sentences: extra duties (three); monetary fines (four); and re-start the military year (11). The remaining three cases have been referred to the magistrates court, for which there is provision in the Defence Act, where they remain outstanding.

Burma

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Burmese Government on the recent human rights violations in Karen State.

Margaret Beckett: We condemn the attacks carried out by the Burmese army on civilians in northern and western Karen State.
	My right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs, (Mr. McCartney), raised our concerns on a range of human rights abuses in Burma, including the recent attacks in KarenState, when he summoned the Burmese ambassador on 15 June.
	The EU issued a statement on 3 May calling on the Burmese to cease human rights abuses. The statement was sent to the Burmese Ministries of Information and Foreign Affairs.
	The statement can be found at the following website:
	http://www.eu2006.at/en/News/CFSP_Statements/May/0305Myanmar.html?null.

Burma

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure that Burma is formally discussed at the UN Security Council and a resolution is agreed.

Margaret Beckett: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs, (Mr. McCartney), gave the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South(Mr. Hancock) on 16 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1454W.

Burma

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to her answer of 16 May 2006,  Official Report, columns 892-93W, on Burma, if she will make a formal written request to the Burmese Government to meet Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

Margaret Beckett: In accordance with an agreed common position, EU Ministers believe that it would be inappropriate to visit Burma at this time. Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest since 2003. I shall therefore not be writing to request a meeting with Aung San Suu Kyi. We have repeatedly called for Aung San Suu Kyi to be released, most recently when my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs (Mr. McCartney) summoned the Burmese ambassador on 15 June.

Burma

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the last time was that British embassy officials in Rangoon, Burma, were permitted to see Aung San Sui Kyi; and what report on the state of her health was received.

Ian McCartney: Our ambassador in Rangoon last met Aung San Suu Kyi on 25 April 2003. Since she was detained on 30 May 2003, the Burmese Government have refused all requests by our ambassador to call on her. United Nations Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari was permitted to see Aung San Suu Kyi on 20 May 2006 and commented that she looked well. Aung San Suu Kyi was reported to have fallen ill earlier this month. She was examined by her doctor but was not admitted to hospital. We understand she has now recovered.

China

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2006,  Official Report, column 311W, on China, whether the Government or its representatives and officials had direct contact with Mr. Ching Cheong prior to his arrest on 22 April 2005.

Ian McCartney: We can find no record of anydirect contact between Mr. Ching Cheong and the Government, their representatives or officials prior to his detention in April 2005.

Extradition Treaty

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with representatives of the United States of America on their ratification of the Extradition Treaty of March 2003; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had any discussions with US representatives about the UK/US Extradition Treaty. However, my right hon. Friend the then Foreign Secretary (Mr. Straw) wrote to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about this matter on 20 April. A copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House and a copy sent to my hon. Friend.

Falkland Islands

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Government have held with  (a) the Falkland Islands Government and  (b) the Argentine Government on exploration for oil and gas in Falkland Islands waters.

Geoff Hoon: The Government hold regular discussions with the Falkland Islands Government on the exploration for oil and gas in Falkland Islands waters. Most recently these included a meeting between both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Director General for Defence and Intelligence and the Overseas Territories Department, with representatives of the Falkland Islands Government, on 15 June.
	There have been no discussions with the Argentine Government on the exploration for oil and gas in Falkland Islands waters since the South West Atlantic Hydro Carbons Commission ceased to meet inJuly 2000.

Falkland Islands

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what Government policy is on supporting the Falkland Islands in their exploration for gas and oil in their territorial waters.

Geoff Hoon: The Government are committed to the offshore prospecting policy pursued by the Falkland Islands Government, which is entirely consistentwith the United Kingdom's sovereign rights over the Falkland Islands.

Hamas

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her latest assessment is of Hamas's position on meeting the conditions of the international community for donor funding.

Ian McCartney: We remain deeply concerned that the Hamas led Palestinian Authority has not committed to the Quartet's (EU, US, UN and Russia) three principles: to renounce violence, recognise Israel and accept all previous agreements and obligations. Hamas need to start implementing these principles and make clear the path they intend to take now that they face the responsibilities of government.

Iraq

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what resources the UK has committed to the promotion of civil society in Iraq; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: The UK has committed over£12 million to programmes that are building civil society capacity in Iraq.
	The Department for International Development's (DFID) Political Participation Fund, totalling£7.5 million, supports initiatives which aim to increase opportunities for political representation and participation of poor, vulnerable and marginalised people in the political process. Projects funded so far include voter education and media and monitors training for elections. DFID has also provided 82 grants to civil society organisations. During 2006 the Fund will help to support the constitutional review process and the provincial elections.
	DFID's Civil Society Fund (CSF), totalling£5 million, is supporting projects that strengthen the capacity of Iraq civil society organisations. The CSF has supported partnerships between nine international non-governmental organisations and their networks of Iraqi civil society groups. Projects have helped develop women's leadership, provided training for Iraqi trade union leaders, developed child rights, supplied social work training and helped build Iraqi capacity in mine risk education. The civil society organisations receiving support include trade unions, women's groups and humanitarian agencies.

Joseph Kony

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the reports that the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has accepted an invitation from the Lord's Resistance leader Joseph Kony to start peace talks; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: President Museveni has indicated a willingness to talk to the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) with a view to ending the conflict in northern Uganda. However, we are not aware of any reports that President Museveni has accepted a specific invitation from the LRA to start peace talks. We have seen the media reporting of the meeting between Kony and the Government of Southern Sudan and the reports that they delivered a message from Kony to President Museveni, but the contents of the message have not been shared with us.
	The Government of Uganda, along with the Governments of Sudan and Democratic Republic of Congo, is obliged to give effect to the International Criminal Court arrest warrants, for the arrest of five LRA Commanders, including Joseph Kony.

Joseph Kony

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance her Department is offering to  (a) Uganda,  (b) the southern Sudanese and  (c) the Democratic Republic to arrest the Lord's Resistance leader Joseph Kony and his commanders for whom the International Criminal Court has issued an international arrest warrant; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued warrants for the arrest of five Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) Commanders, including Joseph Kony, in October 2005. Responsibility to implement the arrest warrants lies in the first instance with the states on whose territory the five LRA commanders are believed to be, namely, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sudan. We have not received any requests for assistance in this regard from the Governments of Uganda, the DRC or Sudan.
	The UK is a strong supporter of the work of the ICC in its efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity. We continue to urge the Governments of Uganda, the DRC and Sudan to fulfil their commitments to co-operate with the ICC, and to help implement the warrants for the arrest of the five senior LRA commanders, including Kony, as soon as possible.

Legislation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Private Member's Bills were drafted by her Department in each Session since 1997; and which of those subsequently received Royal Assent.

Margaret Beckett: Since 1997 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has assisted in the drafting of one Private Member's Bill, the Commonwealth Bill,in partnership with the hon. Member for Havant(Mr. Willetts). This Bill received Royal Assent in 2002.

Legislation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans she has for legislation in the next Session of Parliament; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 16 June 2006 by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House (Mr. Straw),  Official Report, column 1431W.

Madagascar

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1119W, on Madagascar, what assessment she hasmade of the effectiveness of diplomatic links with Madagascar.

Ian McCartney: Once the new non-resident ambassador to and Honorary Consul in Madagascar are accredited, we expect diplomatic links with Madagascar to be adequate to meet our objectives. Our requests for accreditation remain with Malagasy authorities. We await their response.

Palestine

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in establishing new mechanisms for funding the Palestinian people.

Ian McCartney: We welcome the agreement onthe Temporary International Mechanism reached at15 June European Council, and the 17 June Quartet (EU, US, UN and Russia) statement endorsing it. The UK has played an important role in establishing the mechanism, holding regular discussions with our EU and Quartet partners, including the US. There are still some technical details to work out but the European Commission and World Bank are now working to set this up as quickly as possible.
	We hope parts of the mechanism will begin to deliver support in July.
	A copy of the 17 June Quartet statement can be found on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1150454868713.

Project Coast

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information was  (a) shared between  (b) supplied to and  (c) given by those attending the ad hoc meeting held on13 January 2006 to discuss the Basson/Project Coast handling strategy; what other (i) documents and(ii) knowledge are held by the UK Government about Project Coast; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: holding answer of 27 June 2006
	Participants at the meeting shared draft answers to the parliamentary questions under consideration and discussed these to ensure that they represented consistent, full and accurate answers. The Government holds information from a variety of sources on its files, including from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa on the files from that period. To identify every document would incur disproportionate costs.

Somalia

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the security situation in Somalia.

Ian McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd South (Mr. Jones) today (UIN 79925).

Sudan

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of reports that South Sudan's Vice President  (a) recently met the Lord's Resistance Army Chief Joseph Kony,  (b) gave Mr. Kony $20,000 and  (c) delivered a message from Mr. Kony to Mr. Museveni; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: We have seen the media reporting of the meeting between Joseph Kony and the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) and are aware of the associated reports that they have provided financial assistance. We have also seen reports that the GoSS delivered a message from Kony to President Museveni, but the contents of the message have not been shared with us.
	We continue to urge the Government of Sudan to fulfil their commitment to co-operate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) and to help implement the warrants for the arrest of the five senior Lord's Resistance Army commanders, including Kony, as soon as possible. Our ambassador in Khartoum pressed Salva Kiir, President of the Governmentof Southern Sudan, on the Government's ICCobligations on 10 May 2006. The UK-led UN Security Council delegation, which visited southern Sudan on8 June 2006, also raised the issue with President Kiir.

Ulster Volunteer Force

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what information he has received on the Ulster Volunteer Force's intention to enter a ceasefire.

Paul Goggins: In their latest report the IMC stated that the UVF remains an active, violent and ruthless organisation. The UVF's recent statement that they will make no announcement about future intentions until after 24 November is completely unacceptable.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Andrew MacKay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on recent progress towards devolved Government in the Province.

Peter Hain: The preparation for Government Committee at the Assembly is continuing to work to identify the issues that need to be addressed in preparation for devolved Government. The Government remains committed to doing all it can to support the process.

Northern Ireland Assembly

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made towards the permanent re-establishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

David Hanson: The Preparation for Government Committee at the Assembly is continuing to work to identify the issues that need to be addressedin preparation for devolved Government. The Government remains committed to doing all it can to support the process.

EU Funding

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary ofState for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in increasing EU regional funding for Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: Recent improved economic performance means that for 2007-13 Northern Ireland will benefit from an allocation of the EU structural funds available to the UK under the EU's competitiveness and employment objective. Northern Ireland will also benefit from special PEACE funding and Territorial Co-operation funding.
	The allocations of competitiveness and employment funding to UK regions are still under discussion following a recent UK-wide consultation process that ended on 22 May 2006. We will ensure that Northern Ireland gets a fair share of the resources available to the UK.

Community Festivals

Jim Devine: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what Government support is available for new and emerging community festivals in Northern Ireland.

Peter Hain: A new Community Festivals' Fund came into operation on 1 April 2006. The Northern Ireland Events Company administers the fund on the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure's behalf. Approximately £450,000 is available to new or existing festivals that meet the core criteria.
	Its main purpose is to improve the capacity of existing, new and emerging community festivals and to make them more sustainable.

Child Sex Abuse

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of23 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1598W, on child sex abuse, how offender clusters have been monitored in Northern Ireland over the past 10 years; and how offender clusters will be scanned for in the future.

Paul Goggins: Further to my answer to the hon. Gentleman of 23 May 2006, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, in line with the National Intelligence Model (NIM), use the Integrated Crime Information System (ICIS) to monitor offender clusters. NIM became available in 2001, prior to this the PSNI identified clusters through local intelligence

Civil Servants

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Foyle (Mark Durkan)of 15 May 2006,  Official Report, columns 701-2W, on the Northern Ireland Civil Service, which wards were included within Antrim Coast and Glens when calculating the number of Northern Ireland Civil Service vacancies.

David Hanson: The correct title for the parliamentary constituency in question is East Antrim constituency, not Antrim Coast and Glens as provisionally recommended by the Boundary Commission. The corresponding wards in East Antrim constituency, to which these figures previously supplied refer, are Killycrot and Central Ward.

Departmental Expenditure

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the levels of under-capacity and over-capacity are in the accommodation of  (a) each of the Northern Ireland departmental headquarters and  (b) each of their out-offices; and what the annual recurring costs are associated with each of (i) the Northern Ireland departmental headquarters buildings and (ii) each of their out-offices.

David Hanson: It is not possible to determine over or under capacity in accommodation currently as there is no set space standard. However it is estimated that less than 1.5 per cent. of floor space is vacant. In the longer term, the Workplace 2010 initiative aims to provide a more flexible and modern working environment and will introduce space standards against which over and under capacity can be measured.
	Tables setting out the recurring costs for buildings—or parts thereof—that are headquarter buildings and also for out-offices on a departmental basis will be placed in the Library. The figures shown are for 2005-06 and include items such as rent, rates, maintenance, fuel and furniture charges.

Departmental Expenditure

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cars are  (a) owned and  (b) leased by each department under his authority in Northern Ireland; what models the cars are; what type of petrol each requires; what the fuel efficiency is of each model; and for what purpose each car is used.

David Hanson: Details of the cars, leased and owned by each department under my authority are listed in the following table.
	Cars have been defined as passenger carrying vehicles for the purpose of this response.
	
		
			  Dept  Model  Owned  Leased  Fuel type  Efficiency  Purpose used 
			 DFP Vauxhall Omega 6 — Petrol 23 mpg Ministerial/SCS business use 
			  Peugeot 607 4 — Diesel 34 mpg As above 
			  Peugeot 807 1 — Diesel 25 mpg As above 
			  Toyota Prius 2 — Hybrid (pet/electric 54 mpg As above 
			 DETI Peugeot 607 1 — Diesel 30 mpg Departmental business/courier 
			 DHSSPS Volvo S80 1 — Petrol 23 mpg Departmental business 
			  Renault Clio — 1 Petrol 47 mpg Used by Director of NI Clinical and Social Care Governance Support Team 
			 DARD Citroen Synergie 1 — Diesel 35mpg Departmental business - Sea Fisheries Inspectorate 
			  Toyota Landcruiser LC2 1 — Diesel 36 mpg Departmental business - Sea Fisheries Inspectorate 
			 DSD Audi A6 Tdi 1 — Diesel 38.8 mpg Departmental business 
			 NIO Volvo S80 — 3 Petrol 30 mpg Departmental business 
			  Vauxhall Omega 1 — Petrol 27 mg Departmental business 
			  Vauxhall Vectra 1 — Petrol 39 mpg Departmental business 
			  Ford Mondeo 1 — Petrol 39 mpg Departmental business

Departmental Staff

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many employees work in each of the Northern Ireland departments; and how many are employed  (a) in each of the Northern Ireland departmental headquarters, broken down by location and  (b) each of the other offices of each Department.

David Hanson: The total number of employees (permanent and temporary), based on headcount, working in each of the 11 Northern Ireland Departments and NIO, including agencies, and in each of the departmental headquarters location at 1 January 2006 (20 June 2006 for NIO) was as follows;
	
		
			  Department  Location of headquarters  Total headcount at1 January 2006  Headcount at HQ location at1 January 2006 
			 DARD Dundonald House, Belfast. BT4 4,110 1,099 
			 DETI Netherleigh, Belfast. BT4 747 354 
			 DE Rathgael House, Bangor. 694 565 
			 DRD Clarence Court, Belfast. BT2 4,695 633 
			 DOE Clarence Court, Belfast. BT2 2,785 112 
			 DFP Rathgael House, Bangor 3,050 312 
			 DHSSPS Castle Buildings, Belfast. BT4 1,034 654 
			 DCAL Interpoint, Belfast. BT15 461 171 
			 DEL Adelaide House, Belfast, BT2 1,845 370 
			 DSD Lighthouse, Belfast BT 8,187 332 
			 OFMDFM Castle Buildings, Belfast. BT4 369 41 
			 
			 Sub Total  27,977 4,643 
			 
			 NIO(1) (inc NIPS) Stormont Castle, Belfast BT4 ( 3,744 (153) 73(8) 
			  (Dundonald House, Belfast. BT4) — 217 (6) 
			 
			 Grand Total  31,721 4,933 
			 (1) Total NIO headcount figures include NI Prison Service (NIPS) and both NICS and Home Civil Service (HCS) staff. The figures in brackets indicate the number of HCS staff included in each of the NIO totals. NIO and NIPS HQ figures are shown separately. 
		
	
	I have placed in the Library a table showing the number of employees (permanent and temporary), based on headcount, working in departmental headquarters and each of the other offices of each Department.

Dissident Republican Paramilitaries

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 19 April 2006,  Official Report, column 723W, on dissident Republican paramilitaries, whether on 11 January he was in possession of any information to the effect that dissident Republican paramilitaries were engaged in a major recruitment drive in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: In previous answers to this question (27 February, 16 March and 19 April 2006) the hon. Member was advised that the 8th IMC report published on 1 February 2006, indicated evidence that dissident republican groups were attempting to recruit members. I can advise that the 10th IMC report published on 26 April 2006 repeats this earlier assessment that dissident republican groups are attempting to recruit members.

Prisons

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Northern Ireland how many escapes from  (a) prisons and  (b) young offender institutions in Northern Ireland there have been in each year since 1990.

Paul Goggins: The following table sets out the number of prison escape since 1990. The Maze prison closed in 2000, Maghaberry and Magilligan are male adult prisons and Hydebank Wood is a young offender centre and female prison.
	
		
			   Maze  Maghaberry  Magilligan  Hydebank wood 
			 1991 — — — 1 
			 1995 — — 1 1 
			 1997 1 — — — 
			 2000 — — — 1 
			 Total 1 Nil 1 3

Rape

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average length of sentence in Northern Ireland for  (a) rape and  (b) serious sexual assault was in each of the last five years, broken down by whether the defendant pleaded guilty.

David Hanson: Due to a change in the data sourcefor prosecutions and sentencing data, information disaggregated by defendant plea is not available beyond 1999. The 1999 data is provided in the following table.
	Table 1 also provides the number sentenced to immediate custody for rape (including attempts) and indecent assault in 2000 to 2003 and the average length of custodial sentence passed for each.
	Figures beyond 2003 are not yet available.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number sentenced to immediate custody( 1)  and the average sentence length in months( 2)  for rape, attempted rape and indecent assault 1999-2003 
			Rape( 3)  Indecent assault( 4) 
			   Plea  Number sentenced to immediate custody  Average sentence length (months)  Number sentenced to immediate custody  Average sentence length (months) 
			 1999 Guilty 7 89 24 23 
			  Not guilty 1 72 3 17 
			 2000 n/a 9 95 (3)40 20 
			 2001 n/a 17 96 42 18 
			 2002 n/a 9 79 (4)21 31 
			 2003 n/a 9 92 37 21 
			 (1) Figures include persons sentenced to prison, YOG, and custody probation. (2) Rounded to nearest whole number. (3) Includes attempts. (4) Indecent assault includes indecent assault on female, indecent assault on male, indecent assault on female child and indecent assault on male child.  Note: Figures are based on principal offence rule.

Recycling

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in encouraging people in Northern Ireland to recycle.

David Cairns: The Department of the Environment, building on its "Wake up to Waste" programme, has continued to support the design, promotion and delivery of local waste awareness campaigns. This has made a major contribution to the dramatic increase in household waste recycling from 5per cent. in 1999 to 23.4 per cent. in 2005.
	The recently published "Waste Management Strategy" also contains policies and actions aimed at increasing resource efficiency through the promotion of recycling.

Audiology Services

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary ofState for Health what consultation took place with (a) charities,  (b) patient groups and  (c) NHS trusts prior to the decision to exclude audiology services from the Government's 18-week waiting time target for treatment; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Department conducted a six-week consultation exercise in autumn 2005 on the "Commissioning an 18-week patient pathway: Proposed principles and definitions: A discussion document". This consultation exercise asked for comments on a wide range of issues, including on delivering shorter waiting times for audiology services. The Department specifically requested feedback on the document from the patients' association, the patients' forum, and the national health service, along with professional bodies. The Department also received feedback from Royal National Institute for the Deaf.
	The majority of audiology and adult hearing services are accessed directly from primary care and are outside the scope of the 18-week pathway, which is focused on hospital pathways. Hearing and balance conditions that do need to be referred to a medical consultant will be subject to the 18-week's target. We do not intend to reconsider this principle. However, reducing the time that patients wait for directly accessed services is important and an action plan is being developed to improve access to audiology services outside the 18-week pathway.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the volume of carbon dioxide emitted by NHS organisations in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the total cost to the NHS of purchasing energy in each year since 1997.

Caroline Flint: Record investment in new facilities and capacity to reduce waiting times is reflected in the size of the national health service estate increasing by 14 per cent. in the past five years. Carbon and CO2 emissions, relative to the size of the estate, have fallen by an average of half a per cent. per year over the same period, demonstrating greater energy efficiency and the use of cleaner fuels. Future shifts towards more local energy efficient healthcare facilities, in line with the recent White Paper "Our health, our care, our say", will ensure that this trend is continued.
	Energy costs are principally influenced by changes in utility supplier prices and the quantum of energy consumption. Carbon emissions are mainly influenced by the amount and type of energy used. The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		
			   Energy cost (£ million)  Carbon dioxide emissions (million tonnes) 
			 1997-98 198.58 3.04 
			 1998-99 178.46 3.06 
			 1999-2000 184.46 3.05 
			 2000-01 199.97 3.18 
			 2001-02 246.27 3.45 
			 2002-03 247.84 3.46 
			 2003-04 263.67 3.47 
			 2004-05 312.31 3.40

Legislation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  which Government Bills sponsored by her Department are still to be introduced during the current session; and when, and into which House, each will be introduced;
	(2)  what plans she has for legislation in the next session of Parliament; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1431W by my right hon. Friend the Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Straw).

Ministerial Meetings

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings Ministers in her Department have held with hon. Members in each of the last three years, broken down by political party.

Patricia Hewitt: The information requested for the past three years could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	However, we can provide the number of meetings Ministers have had with hon. Members for the last six months. Since 1 January 2006, Ministers in the Department have met with 191 Labour hon. Members, 37 Conservative hon. Members and six Liberal Democrat hon. Members.

NHS Managers

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many managers were employed in the NHS in England on 1 April  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2006.

Rosie Winterton: In the same period, the national health service budget has grown from £33 billion in 1996-97 to £77.8 billion in 2005-06; and the number of staff has increased by over 300,00. Managers make up less than 3 per cent. of the NHS work force.

NHS Pension Scheme

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary ofState for Health pursuant to the announcement bythe Secretary of State for Trade and Industry of18 October 2005 on public service pensions, that all sector scheme negotiations would be completed by March 2006, when she will announce the details of the consultation on the new proposed benefit structure for new entrants for the NHS Pension Scheme; whether the negotiations have been completed; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Negotiations are continuing between NHS Employers, on behalf of the Department and the NHS staff side. Following completion of the negotiations, consultations will take place on the proposals including time scales for implementation of a new pension scheme.

Obesity

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions she has had with ministerial colleagues on promoting the cross-Government campaign to raise public awareness of the health risks of obesity.

Caroline Flint: At a bi-lateral meeting on 15 June, my hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and I discussed further development of the cross-Government campaign to promote every day activity and to raise public awareness of the health risks of obesity.

Patient Transport

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the average ambulance travel times between  (a) the centre of Littlehampton,  (b) Rustington and  (c) Wick and (i) St. Richards Hospital in Chichester and (ii) the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Primary Care Trusts

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 23 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1762W, on primary care trusts, what range of work is in hand; and what arrangements Surrey and Sussex strategic health authority have in place to ensure delivery.

Caroline Flint: The Department is supporting the national health service in delivering the Government's targets on retinopathy screening by supporting local delivery with a United Kingdom national screening committee (NSC) programme, carried out with professional organisations and Diabetes UK, which aims to reduce variability, help the development of a systematic approach where none exists and improve performance and quality. This includes Surrey and Sussex strategic health authority (SHA).
	Funds have also been made available to support the purchase of digital cameras and related equipment for diabetic retinopathy screening. The capital funds increase so that the largest sum is available from April 2005 (£5 million in 2003-04, £9.6 million in 2004-05 and £12.4 million in 2005-06.
	Furthermore, primary care trusts (PCTs) are monitored on their progress towards achieving the target. The target is included within the local delivery agreements between SHA and PCTs, which are reviewed quarterly through a data return to the Department.

Public Health Pilots

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was allocated by her Department to pilot projects targeting public health, including those relating to obesity, in each of the last two years; how much is projected to be allocated during the next 12 months; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Department has allocated central funding to a range of pilot projects aimed at improving public health. Examples of public health related pilots include HIV and syphilis community testing, early abortion and genito-urinary medicine development pilots, local exercise action pilots, school pedometer pilots and piloting the new healthy start scheme. An exact funding figure is not available, but in excess of£3 million was allocated in 2005-06 and similar funding is expected in the coming 12 months.

Special Advisers

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role is played by special advisers in answering parliamentary questions asked of her Department.

Ivan Lewis: Special advisers conduct themselves in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.

Bullying

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures his Department is taking to tackle the bullying of autistic children in schools.

Jim Knight: This Government makes clear that all forms of bullying are unacceptable. We have introduced a series of measures to prevent and tackle bullying in our schools as well as providing support for the victims of bullying. We intend to issue guidance for schools and local authorities in the coming months on how to draw up and implement an effective anti-bullying policy, and this will look at how to address the needs of all bullied children including those with autistic spectrum disorders.

Education Expenditure, Bristol

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average expenditure was per pupil in Bristol in the  (a) 1996-97 and  (b) 2005-06 financial year.

Jim Knight: The following table gives a breakdown of the available data for City of Bristol  (a) 1996-97. However, the information requested at  (b) 2005-06 financial is not yet available. The Department is due to collect the section 52 Outturn data relating to the 2005-06 financial year from August 2006.
	
		
			  City of Bristol combined local authority and school based expenditure( 1)  per pupil( 2)  per pupil 
			   £ per pupil 
			 1996-97(3, 4) 2,990 
			 2004-05(4) 4,240 
			 (1) The combined LA and school based expenditure includes all expenditure on the education of children in LA maintained establishments and pupils educated by the LA other than in maintained establishments. This includes both school based expenditure and all elements of central LA expenditure except youth and community and capital expenditure from revenue (CERA).(2) 1999-2000 saw a change in data source when the data collection moved from the RO1 form collected by the ODPM to the Section 52 form from the DfES. 2002-03 saw a further break in the time series following the introduction of Consistent Financial Reporting (CFR) and the associated restructuring of the Section 52 outturn tables.(3) Pupil figures include all pre-primary pupils, including those under fives funded by the LA and being educated in private settings, pupils educated in maintained mainstream schools and other LA maintained pupils. The pupil data for pupils attending maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special schools are taken from the DfES Annual Schools Census. Private voluntary and independent (PVI) under five pupil numbers are taken from the Early Years census but are only included from 1999-2000 onwards. Also included are other LA maintained pupils which includes all pupils attending schools not maintained by the authority for whom the authority is paying full tuition fees, or educated otherwise than in schools and pupil referral units under arrangements made by the authority drawn from the Form 8b submitted to the DfES. Also included as other LA maintained pupils are all pupils attending pupil referral units who are not registered at a maintained mainstream school drawn from the DfES Annual Schools Census. All pupil numbers are adjusted to be on a financial year basis.(4) Figures prior to 1999-2000 exclude any expenditure on service, strategy and regulation. For Bristol LA this would add roughly £9 to the 1996-97 unit cost. Note:Figures are rounded to the nearest £10. Cash terms figures as reported by City of Bristol local authority as at 23 June 2006.

Learning and Skills Council

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what powers the Learning and Skills Council has (a) to open new post-16 years facilities and  (b) to withdraw funding from existing post-16 years facilities (i) with and (ii) without the agreement of the local education authority for the area; and what (A) informal and (B) formal consultation is required before such proposals are (1) made and (2) implemented.

Bill Rammell: The LSC has powers to propose new school sixth forms and 16-19 schools under section 113A of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 as inserted by section 72 of the Education Act 2002, as part of local 16-19 reorganisation, where it can demonstrate that the proposals will improve participation, raise standards or broaden the range of provision or following recommendations in an Ofsted area inspection report. The LSC also has powers to propose new Further Education Colleges under section 51 of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. In both circumstances the legislation requires the LSC to consult formally and widely, including with the local authority. Reorganisation proposals made by the LSC are decided by the Secretary of State.
	The Learning and Skills Act 2000 places a duty on the LSC to make best use of resources (Section 2), gives the LSC the powers to secure the provision of funds to providers of post-16 education and training (Section 5) and impose conditions (Section 6). These powers cover the provision of funding to FE corporations and other providers of post-16 education and training.
	Section 7 of the Act gives the LSC the power to make a grant to a local authority to be applied as part of the authority's local schools budget and with a view to the grant being used for the purpose of or connected with the provision by schools of post-16 education.
	The LSC has discretion whether to provide, increase, reduce or withdraw funding. However the LSC must exercise its powers reasonably and this means it would normally be expected to consult with the recipient of any funding before withdrawing funding and take into account any representations they wish to make. The LSC must also take into account all relevant matters in reaching any decisions including the need to fulfil its statutory duties to secure proper or reasonable provision.

Parent School Advisers

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress is being made in establishing the pilot areas for parent school advisers; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: 20 local authorities have accepted an invitation to run pilots for parent support advisers in schools. There will be 600 advisers in primary and secondary schools, and recruitment will start this summer. They will take a preventative role, supporting children and families where there are early signs that additional help is needed. They will build on the best that schools are already doing to raise standards by enhancing home-school relationships.

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the proportion of staff at the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority who will  (a) relocate and  (b) resign when it relocates; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: This is a matter for the Board of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, as it considers the plans for the relocation of the organisation, in response to the review by Sir Michael Lyons on relocating public sector jobs outside London and the South East.
	The QCA Board agreed in principle to relocate by March 2010 at its March 2006 meeting, and in May agreed the criteria it will use in considering possible locations. Decisions on its preferred location are expected at the September meeting of the QCA Board, after which recommendations and a business case will go to the Secretary of State, although the final decision is for the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on the advice of the Office of Government Commerce.

School Fires

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many  (a) fatal and  (b) non-fatal injuries resulted from school fires in each year of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many fires there were in  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools in each (i) region and (ii) local education authority in each of the last 10 years; and how many were started deliberately.

Jim Knight: holding answer 22 June 2006
	The Department does not collect these statistics, but does have some figures from the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). The latest figures we have for England and Wales cover 2000-04.
	
		
			   Number of fires 
			 2000 1,275 
			 2001 1,529 
			 2002 1,332 
			 2003 1,313 
			 2004 1,291 
		
	
	The available data cannot differentiate between primary and secondary schools, or between the public and independent sectors. For all the years covered,61 per cent. of the school fires were considered to be the result of deliberate fire setting.
	There have been no fatalities due to school fires in the last 10 years, but school fires resulted in 46 non-fatal casualties in 2002 and 40 in 2003—the latest figures we have from DCLG. Of the 86 people injured in those two years, 54 were over 18 years old, 29 were aged 11-17, two aged between five and 10, and the age of one casualty is unknown.

Schools' Budget

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total schools' budget was of each local authority for 2004-05; and what proportion was delegated to schools in each authority.

Jim Knight: holding answer 26 June 2006
	The available information is contained within the following table:
	
		
			  Total schools' budget( 1)  and total money delegated to schools( 2)  by local authority during 2004-05 
			Of which:  total amount delegated to schools( 2, 3) 
			  Local authority name  Total schools' budget( 1,3 ) (£)  £  Percentage of total schools' budget 
			 England 28,378,783,000 24,868,617,000 87.6 
			 
			 City of London 1,774,000 1,086,000 61.2 
			 Barking and Dagenham 123,004,000 108,570,000 88.3 
			 Barnet 193,853,000 169,651,000 87.5 
			 Barnsley 122,407,000 106,284,000 86.8 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 89,939,000 79,637,000 88.5 
			 Bedfordshire 220,493,000 196,784,000 89.2 
			 Bexley 147,088,000 125,173,000 85.1 
			 Birmingham 719,706,000 649,951,000 90.3 
			 Blackburn and Darwen 99,047,000 86,362,000 87.2 
			 Blackpool 78,383,000 64,179,000 81.9 
			 Bolton 161,789,000 142,577,000 88.1 
			 Bournemouth 73,623,000 62,620,000 85.1 
			 Bracknell Forest 53,416,000 45,651,000 85.5 
			 Bradford 321,379,000 288,876,000 89.9 
			 Brent 170,198,000 149,828,000 88.0 
			 Brighton and Hove 111,176,000 97,577,000 87.8 
			 Bromley 176,580,000 149,825,000 84.8 
			 Buckinghamshire 281,438,000 236,238,000 83.9 
			 Bury 95,743,000 85,180,000 89.0 
			 Calderdale 123,431,000 108,797,000 88.1 
			 Cambridgeshire 262,579,000 234,709,000 89.4 
			 Camden 124,477,000 102,110,000 82.0 
			 Cheshire 368,484,000 313,811,000 85.2 
			 City of Bristol 188,930,000 166,433,000 88.1 
			 City of Kingston-Upon-Hull 148,425,000 134,289,000 90.5 
			 Cornwall 260,961,000 222,983,000 85.4 
			 Coventry 187,619,000 163,766,000 87.3 
			 Croydon 197,796,000 175,920,000 88.9 
			 Cumbria 264,240,000 236,477,000 89.5 
			 Darlington 53,392,000 47,335,000 88.7 
			 Derby 138,473,000 122,847,000 88.7 
			 Derbyshire 396,328,000 347,043,000 87.6 
			 Devon 319,856,000 286,441,000 89.6 
			 Doncaster 183,562,000 160,760,000 87.6 
			 Dorset 203,620,000 172,780,000 84.9 
			 Dudley 176,846,000 152,012,000 86.0 
			 Durham 271,183,000 249,392,000 92.0 
			 Ealing 178,586,000 153,917,000 86.2 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 171,632,000 151,756,000 88.4 
			 East Sussex 246,171,000 214,771,000 87.2 
			 Enfield 201,876,000 177,635,000 88.0 
			 Essex 741,672,000 650,563,000 87.7 
			 Gateshead 108,190,000 93,570,000 86.5 
			 Gloucestershire 304,192,000 263,475,000 86.6 
			 Greenwich 170,630,000 152,318,000 89.3 
			 Hackney 146,186,000 108,723,000 74.4 
			 Halton 77,128,000 65,644,000 85.1 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 91,668,000 77,091,000 84.1 
			 Hampshire 620,454,000 543,123,000 87.5 
			 Haringey 156,798,000 135,020,000 86.1 
			 Harrow 112,364,000 98,715,000 87.9 
			 Hartlepool 58,050,000 52,058,000 89.7 
			 Havering 138,314,000 125,975,000 91.1 
			 Herefordshire 80,212,000 70,012,000 87.3 
			 Hertfordshire 638,721,000 565,727,000 88.6 
			 Hillingdon 161,115,000 143,737,000 89.2 
			 Hounslow 151,235,000 133,537,000 88.3 
			 Isle of Wight 74,792,000 62,892,000 84.1 
			 Isles of Scilly 2,022,000 1,907,000 94.3 
			 Islington 117,088,000 100,520,000 85.9 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 60,596,000 51,062,000 84.3 
			 Kent 803,297,000 707,384,000 88.1 
			 Kingston upon Thames 80,147,000 71,892,000 89.7 
			 Kirklees 238,729,000 206,598,000 86.5 
			 Knowsley 101,282,000 85,826,000 84.7 
			 Lambeth 144,579,000 126,129,000 87.2 
			 Lancashire 645,308,000 552,860,000 85.7 
			 Leeds 413,736,000 367,784,000 88.9 
			 Leicester 179,114,000 157,165,000 87.7 
			 Leicestershire 333,829,000 286,604,000 85.9 
			 Lewisham 176,890,000 141,393,000 79.9 
			 Lincolnshire 357,592,000 323,724,000 90.5 
			 Liverpool 303,016,000 264,917,000 87.4 
			 Luton 123,522,000 111,606,000 90.4 
			 Manchester 266,455,000 235,250,000 88.3 
			 Medway 169,590,000 149,702,000 88.3 
			 Merton 85,299,000 77,484,000 90.8 
			 Middlesbrough 78,826,000 66,421,000 84.3 
			 Milton Keynes 134,580,000 116,287,000 86.4 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 144,583,000 125,337,000 86.7 
			 Newham 224,595,000 191,640,000 85.3 
			 Norfolk 399,955,000 355,580,000 88.9 
			 North East Lincolnshire 97,278,000 82,443,000 84.8 
			 North Lincolnshire 86,422,000 75,551,000 87.4 
			 North Somerset 96,186,000 82,754,000 86.0 
			 North Tyneside 104,510,000 96,067,000 91.9 
			 North Yorkshire 299,938,000 271,182,000 90.4 
			 Northamptonshire 364,536,000 323,799,000 88.8 
			 Northumberland 178,247,000 154,693,000 86.8 
			 Nottingham City 157,053,000 139,450,000 88.8 
			 Nottinghamshire 407,872,000 357,373,000 87.6 
			 Oldham 147,627,000 130,998,000 88.7 
			 Oxfordshire 300,641,000 262,193,000 87.2 
			 Peterborough 106,083,000 95,723,000 90.2 
			 Plymouth 146,123,000 126,955,000 86.9 
			 Poole 66,250,000 57,570,000 86.9 
			 Portsmouth 95,693,000 83,445,000 87.2 
			 Reading 64,392,000 55,911,000 86.8 
			 Redbridge 165,256,000 148,930,000 90.1 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 84,823,000 75,818,000 89.4 
			 Richmond upon Thames 75,485,000 66,223,000 87.7 
			 Rochdale 134,690,000 116,045,000 86.2 
			 Rotherham 163,381,000 147,320,000 90.2 
			 Rutland 17,092,000 15,870,000 92.9 
			 Salford 130,416,000 109,446,000 83.9 
			 Sandwell 177,150,000 167,081,000 94.3 
			 Sefton 169,695,000 148,475,000 87.5 
			 Sheffield 312,947,000 235,272,000 75.2 
			 Shropshire 139,316,000 116,257,000 83.4 
			 Slough 79,322,000 72,061,000 90.8 
			 Solihull 121,135,000 104,826,000 86.5 
			 Somerset 245,938,000 220,787,000 89.8 
			 South Gloucestershire 134,374,000 116,988,000 87.1 
			 South Tyneside 90,805,000 79,260,000 87.3 
			 Southampton 114,036,000 100,997,000 88.6 
			 Southend 100,684,000 88,181,000 87.6 
			 Southwark 173,295,000 152,210,000 87.8 
			 St. Helens 108,344,000 92,974,000 85.8 
			 Staffordshire 446,754,000 388,557,000 87.0 
			 Stockport 139,217,000 118,696,000 85.3 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 108,756,000 95,774,000 88.1 
			 Stoke on Trent 132,948,000 120,582,000 90.7 
			 Suffolk 351,431,000 313,212,000 89.1 
			 Sunderland 164,841,000 153,409,000 93.1 
			 Surrey 504,842,000 437,813,000 86.7 
			 Sutton 117,990,000 102,825,000 87.1 
			 Swindon 96,118,000 86,102,000 89.6 
			 Tameside 131,368,000 111,668,000 85.0 
			 Telford and Wrekin 97,532,000 80,382,000 82.4 
			 Thurrock 84,592,000 75,899,000 89.7 
			 Torbay 70,790,000 60,739,000 85.8 
			 Tower Hamlets 203,348,000 183,673,000 90.3 
			 Trafford 123,355,000 105,053,000 85.2 
			 Wakefield 169,380,000 155,690,000 91.9 
			 Walsall 170,012,000 149,109,000 87.7 
			 Waltham Forest 151,830,000 139,267,000 91.7 
			 Wandsworth 133,648,000 123,108,000 92.1 
			 Warrington 106,064,000 95,511,000 90.1 
			 Warwickshire 274,447,000 237,407,000 86.5 
			 West Berkshire 89,846,000 78,913,000 87.8 
			 West Sussex 368,614,000 330,195,000 89.6 
			 Westminster 96,001,000 83,280,000 86.7 
			 Wigan 183,453,000 160,517,000 87.5 
			 Wiltshire 220,358,000 191,432,000 86.9 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 72,973,000 63,281,000 86.7 
			 Wirral 195,055,000 169,917,000 87.1 
			 Wokingham 81,444,000 71,057,000 87.2 
			 Wolverhampton 145,683,000 136,367,000 93.6 
			 Worcestershire 277,741,000 245,661,000 88.4 
			 York 85,465,000 73,109,000 85.5 
			 (1 )Total schools' budget is drawn from local authorities Section 52 Budget Statements submitted to the DfES. This is calculated as the gross elements of any grants plus the net elements of the remainder of the budget.(2 )The total amount delegated to schools includes the individual schools' budget as well as any school standards grants, devolved standards fund allocation, excellence in cities grant, additional targeted transitional grant, advance of transitional grant and support for schools in financial difficulty.(3 )Cash figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and, therefore, may not sum due to rounding. Figures as reported by local authorities as at23 June 2006.

Teachers

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers are teaching classes in  (a) mathematics,  (b) English,  (c) biology,  (d) physics,  (e) chemistry,  (f) French,  (g) German,  (h) history and  (i) geography in secondary schools in England who have no higher qualification than an A-level in the subject.

Jim Knight: Information on the number of teachers teaching by subject and qualification is collected in periodic staffing surveys the last of which was conducted in November 2002.
	The following tables provide the available information.
	
		
			  D8 Teachers in Service: Full-time teachers in maintained secondary schools—Highest post A level qualifications( 1)  held in the subjects they teach( 2)  to year groups 7-13, England 
			   Percentage  
			   Degree( 3)  BEd  PGCE  Cert Ed  Other Qual.  No Qual.  Total teachers (Thousand) 
			 Mathematics 42 ± 3 15 ± 2 9 ± 2 7 ± 1 2 ± 1 24 ± 2 28.2 
			 English 51 ± 3 15 ± 2 7 ± 1 6 ± 1 1 ± 1 20 ± 2 29.4 
			 
			 Combined/General science 62 ± 3 12 ± 2 10 ± 2 4 ± 1 1 ± 1 11 ± 2 28.3 
			 Biology(4) 71 ± 5 7 ± 3 11 ± 4 3 ± 2 - ± 1 7 ± 3 5.6 
			 Chemistry(4) 72 ± 5 6 ± 3 12 ± 4 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 7 ± 3 5.2 
			 Physics(4) 63 ± 6 11 ± 4 15 ± 4 3 ± 2 - ± - 8 ± 3 4.7 
			 Other sciences(4) 10 ± 6 4 ± 4 5 ± 4 - ± - - ± - 80 ± 8 1.6 
			 
			 French 54 ± 3 7 ± 2 10 ± 2 3 ± 1 2 ± 1 23 ± 3 16.0 
			 German 47 ± 5 6 ± 3 13 ± 4 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 30 ± 5 6.9 
			 Spanish 37 ± 7 8 ± 4 19 ± 6 - ± - 3 ± 2 33 ± 7 3.6 
			 Other modern languages 18 ± 8 - ± - 9 ± 7 - ± - 3 ± 4 71 ±10 1.4 
			 
			 Design and technology(5) 26 ± 3 20 ± 3 7 ± 2 21 ± 3 2 ± 1 24 ± 3 20.9 
			 ICT(5, 6) 13 ± 2 6 ± 1 8 ± 2 2 ± 1 3 ± 1 69 ± 3 18.9 
			 Other/Combined technology(5) 30± 1 0 13 ± 8 16 ± 7 18 ± 9 2 ± 3 20 ± 9 1.6 
			 
			 Business studies 30 ± 5 11 ± 4 9 ± 3 4 ± 2 3 ± 2 43 ± 5 6.5 
			 Classics 33 ± 7 - ± - 2 ± 4 2 ± - - ± - 63 ± 7 1.0 
			 History 57 ± 4 9 ± 2 6 ± 2 6 ± 2 - ± - 23 ± 3 13.7 
			 Religious education 22 ± 3 8 ± 2 8 ± 2 4 ± 1 2 ± 1 57 ± 4 14.2 
			 Geography 53 ± 4 9 ± 2 6 ± 2 5 ± 2 1 ± 1 25 ± 3 13.7 
			 Other social studies 35 ± 5 6 ± 3 2 ± 2 2 ± 1 - ± 1 54 ± 6 4.9 
			 Combined arts/humanities/ social studies 5 ± 3 4 ± 2 7 ± 3 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 83 ± 5 5.3 
			 
			 Music 59 ± 5 15 ± 4 5 ± 2 6 ± 3 2 ± 2 13 ± 4 6.3 
			 Drama 25 ± 4 10 ± 3 12 ± 3 6 ± 2 2 ± 1 45 ± 5 8.1 
			 Art and design 54 ± 4 10 ± 3 7 ± 2 9 ± 3 1 ± 1 20 ± 4 9.3 
			 Physical education 25 ± 3 31 ± 3 6 ± 2 13 ± 2 2 ± 1 22 ± 2 21.4 
			 Careers education 2 ± 2 1 ± 2 3 ± 3 4 ± 4 3 ± 4 87 ± 7 1.5 
			 PSHE(6) 1 ± - 1 ± - 2 ± 1 1 ± - - ± - 95 ± 1 61.4 
			 General studies 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 1 ± 1 - ± 1 - ± - 95 ± 2 7.1 
			 Citizenship 2 ± 1 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 - ± 1 - ± - 94 ± 2 9.0 
			 Other — — — — — — 32.8 
			 
			 Total(2, 7) 33 ± - 10 ±- 7 ± - 5 ± - 1 ± - 44 ± - 388.4 
			 '-' = zero or less than 0.5.(1) Where a teacher has more than one post A level qualification in the same subject, the qualification level is determined by the highest level reading from left (Degree) to right (Other Qual.). For example, teachers shown under PGCE have a PGCE but not a degree or BEd in the subject, while those with a PGCE and a degree are shown only under Degree.(2) Teachers are counted once against each subject which they are teaching.(3) Includes higher degrees but excludes BEds.(4) Teachers qualified in combined/general science are treated as qualified to teach biology, chemistry, or physics. Teachers qualified in biology, chemistry or physics are treated as qualified to teach combined/general science.(5) Teachers qualified in other/combined technology are treated as qualified to teach design and technology or information and communication technology. Teachers qualified in design and technology or information and communication technology are treated as qualified to teach other/combined technology.(6) Information and Communication Technology is abbreviated as ICT and Personal Social and Health Education is abbreviated as PSHE.(7) 'Other' not included in total percentages. Source:Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey 2002. 
		
	
	
		
			  D9 Teachers in Service: Full-time teachers in maintained secondary schools—Proportion of subject periods taught to year groups 7-13 holding a post A level qualification( 1)  in that subject ( 2) , England 
			   Percentage  
			   Degree( 3)  BEd  PGCE  Cert Ed  Other Qual.  No Qual.  Total teachers (Thousand) 
			 Mathematics 52 ± 1 17 ± - 10 ± - 8 ± - 1 ± - 12 ± - 630 
			 English 62 ± 1 15 ± - 6 ± - 6 ± - 1± - 9 ± - 650 
			 
			 Combined/General science 65 ± 1 13 ± - 10 ± - 5 ± - 1 ± - 6 ± - 610 
			 Biology(4) 76 ± 1 6 ± 1 10 ± 1 3 ± 1 - ± - 5 ± 1 60 
			 Chemistry(4) 80 ± 1 5 ± 1 8 ± 1 1 ± - 2 ± - 5 ± 1 50 
			 Physics(4) 73 ± 2 9 ± 1 9 ± 1 2 ± 1 - ± - 6 ± 1 50 
			 Other Sciences(4) 11 ± 2 3 ± 1 4 ± 1 - ± - - ± - 82 ± 2 20 
			 
			 French 61 ± 1 8 ± - 10 ± - 4 ± - 3 ± - 15 ± 1 300 
			 German 59 ± 1 8 ± 1 13 ± 1 1 ± - 3 ± - 16 ± 1 110 
			 Spanish 43 ± 2 13 ± 1 22 ± 2 - ± - 4 ± 1 18 ± 2 50 
			 Other modern languages 27 ± 2 - ± - 8 ± 2 - ± - 1 ± 1 63 ± 2 20 
			 
			 Design and technology(5) 30 ± 1 25 ± 1 7 ± - 23 ± 1 2 ± - 13 ± - 480 
			 ICT(5, 6) 22 ± 1 11 ± 1 11 ± 1 3 ± - 4 ± - 49 ± 1 210 
			 Other/Combined technology(5) 37 ± 3 11 ± 2 12 ± 2 28 ± 3 6 ± 1 6 ± 2 20 
			 
			 Business studies 35 ± 1 11 ± 1 12 ± 1 6 ± 1 4 ± 1 33 ± 1 90 
			 Classics 71 ± 2 - ± - 2 ± 1 1 ± - - ± - 26 ± 2 10 
			 History 70 ± 1 10 ± 1 6 ± - 6 ± - - ± - 8 ± - 250 
			 Religious education 44 ± 1 12 ± 1 11 ± 1 6 ± 1 3 ± - 24 ± 1 190 
			 Geography 69 ± 1 10 ± 1 7 ± - 5 ± 1 1 ± - 9 ± 1 240 
			 Other social studies 54 ± 2 7 ± 1 3 ± - 1 ± - - ± - 35 ± 2 60 
			 Combined arts/humanities/ social studies 6 ± 1 10 ± 1 11 ± 1 - ± - 3 ± 1 70 ± 2 50 
			 
			 Music 66 ± 1 18 ± 1 4 ± - 7 ± 1 2 ± - 4 ± - 140 
			 Drama 43 ± 1 14 ± 1 11 ± 1 9 ± 1 2 ± - 22 ± 1 120 
			 Art and design 65 ± 1 11 ± 1 7 ± - 8 ± 1 1 ± - 8 ± 1 210 
			 Physical education 35 ± 1 37 ± 1 5 ± - 15 ± 1 2 ± - 6 ± - 420 
			 Careers education 3 ± 1 5 ± 2 7 ± 2 13 ± 4 4 ± 2 68 ± 5 10 
			 PSHE(6) 2 ± - 2 ± - 2 ± - 2 ± - 1 ± - 92 ± 1 150 
			 General studies 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 1± 1 - ± - - ± - 95 ± 1 20 
			 Citizenship 2 ± 1 2 ± 1 3 ± 1 - ± - - ± - 93 ± 2 20 
			 Other — — — — — — 220 
			 
			 Total(2, 7) 51 ± - 15 ± - 8 ± - 8 ± - 2 ± - 17 ± - 5,460 
			 '-' = zero or less than 0.5.(1) Where a teacher has more than one post A level qualification in the same subject, the qualification level is determined by the highest level reading from left (Degree) to right (Other Qual.). For example, teachers shown under PGCE have a PGCE but not a degree or BEd in the subject, while those with a PGCE and a degree are shown only under Degree.(2) Teachers are counted once against each subject which they are teaching.(3). Includes higher degrees but excludes BEds.(4) Teachers qualified in combined/general science are treated as qualified to teach biology, chemistry, or physics. Teachers qualified in biology, chemistry or physics are treated as qualified to teach combined/general science.(5) Teachers qualified in other/combined technology are treated as qualified to teach design and technology or information and communication technology. Teachers qualified in design and technology or information and communication technology are treated as qualified to teach other/combined technology.(6). Information and Communication Technology is abbreviated as ICT and Personal Social and Health Education is abbreviated as PSHE.(7) 'Other' not included in total percentages. Source:Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey 2002. 
		
	
	Research by the National Foundation for Education Research (NFER) conducted during 2005 and published by the Department in January 2006 indicated that 92 per cent. of all teachers teaching science were science specialists with 44 per cent. holding a biology specialism, 25 per cent. holding a chemistry specialism, 19 per cent. a physics specialism and 5 per cent. a specialism in another science. An estimated 2 per cent. of teachers teaching science did not hold a post A-level qualification in science. In addition, the research estimated that 76 per cent. of teachers teaching maths were maths specialists. An estimated 14 per cent. held no post A-level qualification in maths. For both maths and science, the research suggested that specialists deliver a greater proportion of the curriculum time than their relative size within the workforce would suggest. For example, although only 10 per cent. of teachers teaching science at Key Stage 4 hold a degree in physics, they deliver 43 per cent. of the curriculum time for GCSE physics with the rest supplied mainly by those with a chemistry degree or those with an initial teacher training specialism in science. ("Mathematics and Science in Schools: The Deployment of Teachers and Support Staff to Deliver the Curriculum"; Moor et al; DfES; 2006). For further information please see the research report at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR708.pdf

Animal Testing

Ann Widdecombe: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to which procedures animals may be subject over the course of a two-year carcinogenicity study; and what the severity is of each procedure.

Joan Ryan: Under project license authorities issued under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, a two year carcinogenicity study would involve a series of regulated procedures forming a single protocol. The regulated procedures in the series would entail the administration of the test substance by one of a number of routes, for example, orally, by injection, through inhalation, or applied to the skin. Each route would be expected to produce only mild, momentary discomfort. Occasional blood samples may also be taken in some cases. The licence authorities require that animals will be humanely killed before any tumours produced during the observation period cause serious adverse effects. Overall the protocol would be expected to be of mild or moderate severity.
	The International Conference on Harmonisationof Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) publish International guidelines for the conduct of carcinogenicity studies for pharmaceuticals and chemicals, respectively, to which studies conducted in the United Kingdom are expected comply.

Cash Delivery Crime

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures  (a) have been introduced since 1997 and  (b) are planned to combat violent crime against cash delivery personnel in (i) rural and (ii) urban areas.

Vernon Coaker: Since 1997 the security industry and the police have introduced a number of measures to combat cash-in-transit (CIT) attacks. This includes disseminating good practice, increased use of technology to protect CIT deliveries and close working between the industry and the police to share intelligence relating to cash-in-transit robberies.
	Earlier this year Hazel Blears met with representatives of the GMB Union, Group Four Security and the BSIA to identify the next steps to address the problem issue of cash-in-transit robberies.
	Officials have continued to meet with the representatives as recently as the 22 June, and are developing a programme to address a number of issues around CIT attacks. This includes engaging other Government departments on how to implement environmental crime reduction measures, developing good practice guidance in conjunction with ACPO, and examining delivery procedures that expose CIT personnel to the risk of attack. This work will include sending out a strong deterrent message to perpetrators of such crimes.
	This is in addition to the continued work to tackle violent crime involving guns and other weapons.

Close Protection

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how long he expects applications submitted for the licensing of close protection industry operatives to take to be processed;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to reduce the backlog of close protection licences.

Vernon Coaker: The information is as follows.
	(a) The SIA have a published target of processing80 per cent. of all applications within six weeks, measured from the date that a properly completed application enters the processing system to the date that a licence is issued. Since September 2005, there has been a backlog of applications that have been waiting to enter the system. These have added an additional time of between two and four weeks to the process, so it is now taking up to 10 weeks to process most applications. As of 13 June there were 7,933 of applications for the manned guarding sector in this backlog.
	(b) The SIA has put significant additional resources into clearing this backlog, and expect that by early August applications will achieve the SIA's published target.

Crime Statistics

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the impact on public perception and fear of crime of listing separately as public order offences in crime statistics multiple alcohol-related offences committed at night.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office has not made an assessment of the impact on public perceptions of the recording or reporting of particular crimes.
	The British Crime Survey routinely provides information on crimes where the offender was perceived to be under the influence of alcohol, and separately also provides information on people's worry about crime, including violent crime. The BCS does not measure people's perceptions of alcohol-related violence specifically, but does measure people's perceptions of antisocial behaviour including people being drunk or rowdy in public places. This information is routinely published in the annual volume and quarterly updates for 'Crime in England and Wales'.
	According to the 2004-05 BCS 16 per cent. of people were very worried about violent crime, and 22 per cent. of the people said that people being drunk or rowdy in public places was a fairly or very big problem in their local area. Based on the 2004-05 BCS victims believed the offender or offenders to be under the influence of alcohol in about half of all violent incidents (48 per cent.). This information is available in the Library,and via Home Office website http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/crimeew0405.html

Criminal Records Bureau

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have received an incorrect assessment from the Criminal Records Bureau in each year since its inception; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ryan: The Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) has issued 8.9 million disclosures since its launch in March 2002 to 31 March 2006. In that time, there have been 2,273 occasions where disclosure applicant details were matched by the CRB to a person with the same or very similar details who has a criminal record and, where the details had been challenged by the applicant, their dispute was subsequently upheld. The following table illustrates the breakdown, in each financial year.
	
		
			Upheld disputes 
			  Financial year  Number of disclosures issued  Number  Percentage 
			 2002-03 1,441,704 256 0.017 
			 2003-04 2,287,109 623 0.027 
			 2004-05 2,434,290 761 0.031 
			 2005-06 2,772,929 633 0.022 
			 Total 8,936,032 2,273 0.025 
		
	
	These cases are clearly regrettable, but represent a very small proportion of cases—0.025 per cent. of the total number of disclosures issued.
	CRB staff use searching and matching techniques and arrangements approved by police forces. As with the police, when making their decision they must bear in mind that the source of much of the information recorded on the police national computer (PNC) database is provided by the individual concerned at the time of his or her arrest. CRB have to consider that the individual may deliberately choose to give or, in the heat of the moment, may be confused and give incomplete or incorrect information. The CRB is acutely aware of the human consequences of making an incorrect matching decision and does not do so lightly.
	There may also be occasions when a person's identity has been stolen or their personal details used when someone else is in contact with the police. It is for these reasons that the CRB must err on the side of caution when an individual has the same or very similar personal details to those of someone who has a criminal record. This is because it is better to be safe than run the risk of letting an inappropriate person through.
	When a disclosure is disputed the only safe way to resolve the situation is by asking the applicant to have his or her fingerprints taken at a local police station to help either confirm or overturn the original matching decision. There have been instances where the fingerprinting procedure has confirmed that an individual who has challenged the accuracy or the validity of the conviction information has been subsequently proved to be the owner of that conviction record.
	The CRB will always apologise if the original matching decision is later found to be incorrect. In the event of a dispute the CRB notifies the prospective employer who would be aware of the CRB's code of practice that asks them not to take any precipitative action and defer any employment decision until the dispute is resolved. When a disclosure is disputed the CRB will inform all parties that this is the case, including the employer. Where the information contained in the disclosure is found not to relate to the applicant, a fresh disclosure will be issued free-of-charge to both the applicant and the registered body.90 per cent. of disputes are resolved within 21 days.
	A public consultation exercise was conducted in October 2003 about making greater use of fingerprinting at an earlier stage in the application process and to aid the matching and decision-making procedures. The overwhelming response was not in favour of such a measure.
	It is worth noting that under the previous police checking arrangements, individuals were not able to see the criminal records information disclosed about them. The information would have been passed only to the prospective employer and not to the job applicant and the prospective employer would have had no obligation to pass on the contents of the information to the individual.

Firearms Certificates

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State forthe Home Department pursuant to the answer of10 November 2005,  Official Report, column 652W to the hon. Member for Teignbridge (Richard Younger-Ross), on firearms certificates, what the equivalent information is for  (a) England,  (b) London and  (c) each London borough.

Tony McNulty: Please see the following table covering London, England, and England and Wales. The data is not available by London borough.
	
		
			  Defendants sentenced and given custody for carrying a weapon or blade, 1997-2004( 1) 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000 
			  London( 2) 
			  Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 
			 Sentenced 1,001 876 738 861 
			 Immediate custody 159 158 119 160 
			  Having an article with a blade in a public place 
			 Sentenced 1,274 1,335 1,089 1,168 
			 Immediate custody 190 225 181 196 
			  Total of both offences 
			 Sentenced 2,275 2,211 1,827 2,029 
			 Immediate custody 349 383 300 356 
			  
			  England 
			  Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 
			 Sentenced 3,900 4,093 3,870 3,843 
			 Immediate custody 482 552 513 558 
			  Having an article with a blade in a public place 
			 Sentenced 3,185 3,598 3,337 3,349 
			 Immediate custody 356 519 498 479 
			  Total of both offences 
			 Sentenced 7,085 7,691 7,207 7,192 
			 Immediate custody 838 1,071 1,011 1,037 
			  
			  England and Wales 
			  Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 
			 Sentenced 4,130 4,375 4,135 4,108 
			 Immediate custody 509 585 554 595 
			  Having an article with a blade in a public place 
			 Sentenced 3,341 3,788 3,548 3,518 
			 Immediate custody 372 550 534 499 
			  Total of both offences 
			 Sentenced 7,471 8,163 7,683 7,626 
			 Immediate custody 881 1,135 1,088 1,094 
		
	
	
		
			   2001  2002  2003  2004 
			  London( 2) 
			  Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 
			 Sentenced 1,148 1,455 1,250 1,361 
			 Immediate custody 181 227 201 220 
			  Having an article with a blade in a public place 
			 Sentenced 1,509 1,877 1,698 1,627 
			 Immediate custody 264 319 290 287 
			  Total of both offences 
			 Sentenced 2,657 3,332 2,948 2,988 
			 Immediate custody 445 546 491 507 
			  
			  England 
			  Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 
			 Sentenced 4,607 5,153 5,114 5,446 
			 Immediate custody 596 748 719 768 
			  Having an article with a blade in a public place 
			 Sentenced 4,107 5,014 5,083 5,524 
			 Immediate custody 570 742 738 776 
			  Total of both offences 
			 Sentenced 8,714 10,167 10,197 10,970 
			 Immediate custody 1,166 1,490 1,457 1,544 
			  
			  England and Wales 
			  Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse 
			 Sentenced 4,873 5,441 5,394 5,758 
			 Immediate custody 634 787 760 817 
			  Having an article with a blade in a public place 
			 Sentenced 4,303 5,269 5,311 5,802 
			 Immediate custody 589 766 755 803 
			  Total of both offences 
			 Sentenced 9,176 10,710 10,705 11,560 
			 Immediate custody 1,223 1,553 1,515 1,620 
			 (1) The above offences are not covered within the Knives Act 1997 which came into force, partly in September 1997 and fully in March 1999. The offences are covered under previous Acts. The offence of possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse is covered under the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 S.1. The offence of having an article with a blade or point in a public place is covered by the Criminal Justice Act 1988 S.139. (2) London is made up by data from the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police force areas.  Source: RDS NOMS 13/12/2005

Ministerial Meetings

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when  (a) he and  (b) his predecessors have met (i) the chairman and (ii) the members of the Sentencing Guidelines Council to discuss their roles within the criminal justice system.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Home Secretary has regular meetings with the Lord Chief Justice to discussmatters of mutual interest. The previous Home Secretary visited the Sentencing Guidelines Council on 4 May 2006 and met the members.

Parliamentary Questions

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why it took until 22 May 2006 to send a substantive reply to question 48371 on HMP Chelmsford tabled by the hon. Member for West Chelmsford for answer on 6 February; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 5 June 2006
	I am sorry the hon. Member did not receive a more prompt reply to his question.
	Ministers and officials make every effort toanswer questions substantively in accordance with performance guidelines. However this delay is unacceptable.
	I have asked those responsible for oversight of my Department's PQs to improve our performance.

Police

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will announce final proposals for police force restructuring in the South West of England.

Tony McNulty: As my right hon. Friend, theHome Secretary, announced during the course of Home Office oral questions on 19 June, no Orders for Home Secretary initiated police force mergers will be laid before the summer recess. Instead, we want to spend the coming months engaging with police forces and police authorities, including those in the South West, in discussions on the best way forward.

Restorative Justice

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to increase the use of restorative justice.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government strongly supports the use of restorative justice given its proven benefits for victims. We published our restorative justice strategy in July 2003, best practice guidance for practitioners was issued in December 2004 and guidance on setting up adult restorative justice schemes was issued to local criminal justice boards in March 2005.
	Restorative justice has been a central part of the youth justice system since the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. Contact with the victim or reparation can be part of all youth justice disposals, including Final Warnings, Referral Orders, Reparation Orders, Action Plan Orders and Supervision Orders.
	We encourage the use of restorative justice in the adult criminal justice system, particularly as a service to victims and it can, for example, be delivered as part of a conditional caution. We are building an evidence base on the impact of restorative justice on re-offending to inform our longer-term strategy for adults.

Sentencing Bodies (Appointments)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions his Department has had with  (a) the Department for Constitutional Affairs,  (b) the Lord Chancellor and  (c) the Lord Chief Justice on the appointment of members to the(i) Sentencing Guidelines Council and (ii) Sentencing Advisory Panel.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Home Secretary, the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice consult each other, as required by statute, on the appointments to the Sentencing Guidelines Council and the Sentencing Advisory Panel.

Terrorism

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance his Department has given to police officers on identifying those who should be stopped and searched under the Terrorism Act 2000.

Tony McNulty: We are continuing to work with police and other stakeholders to develop detailed guidance on the circumstances in which stop and search powers under the Terrorism Act 2000 should be used in order to increase consistency and reassure the public that the powers are used appropriately. This work has had considerable input from police authorities, community representatives and other interest groups. Interim guidance was published on 22 December 2005 by the National Centre for Policing Excellence on this subject, and can be viewed on the ACPO website. A final version of the guidance will be published later this year.
	The Home Office also published the Stop and Search Manual in March 2005, which provides guidance on best practice in relation to all stop and search powers. The Codes of Practice issued under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 also include guidance on the use of stop and search powers, both generallyand specifically in relation to powers under theTerrorism Act.